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Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..……3
What is Activism?......................................................................................................................................3
History of Social Activism at Miami………………………………………………………………………………………………………4
Finding Your Interest…………………………………………………………………………………………………....…….……………...6
Understanding Power and Privilege………………………………………………………………………….…………………………8
Intersectionality…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..10
Inclusive Organizing…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11
Goal Setting…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…13
Solo vs. Group Activism…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……….15
Groups and Campus Organizations……………………………………………………………………………………………….…..17
Recruitment……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...19
Group Meetings…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….....21
Planning Events and Reserving Space………………………………………………………….…………………………………….24
Coalition Building……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...25
Lobbying…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...29
Press and Media………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..30
Miami University Policies and Procedures………………………………………………………………………………………...32
Addressing University-Related Concerns……………………………………………………………………………………….…..34
Activism for Credit…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…35
Post-Grad Activism……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…...36
Campus Resources…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….36
For Further Reading………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……....37
The Women’s Center and Social Action Center……………………………..……………………………………………….….38
References…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…..38

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So you want to be an activist, eh?
It’s really not as scary as it sounds. But just in case you find yourself confused about what activism is or how to do it, this guide is here to help you. It provides a step-by-step walkthrough of how to get started doing activist work at Miami, as well as important information for activists to know, Miami procedures, resources, and much more. While it is specifically tailored toward those interested in doing social justice work on Miami’s Oxford campus, sections of this guide are applicable to a broad range of activism and leadership in a broad range of places, so I highly encourage you to leaf through it, even if you are unsure whether it’s the right thing for you.
This guide has been several years in the making. It was begun by Rebecca Lancaster, a Miami student who started the guide – based on models from the Social Action Center - as part of her practicum with the
Women’s Center in 2011. It was then revisited, revised, reworked, and expanded by me, Kaeden Kass, as part of my work as Activism and Community Service Coordinator through the Women’s Center Ambassador
Program during the 2012-2013 school year. I come to this guide with several years of education in social justice issues, as well as several years of real-world experience in activism, both inside and outside of Miami.
While I believe this guide provides an excellent foundation and collection of resources, activism is really what you make of it. In the end, it is only the ideas, the energy, and the spirit you bring to your projects that will ultimately make you an activist. So don’t treat this guide as a prescription, as a rulebook, or as the otherwise end-all-be-all of activism…after all, activism is often more about breaking rules than abiding by them anyway.
Rather, I hope that you use this guide as a springboard: both an avenue to get involved and a resource when you need it.
With that, I send you off into the wonderful wide world of social justice. I know that you will dream big, do great things, and make our campus, our community, and our world a better place.
Kaeden Kass, Women’s Center Ambassador, 2013
Activism, in its most holistic sense, is taking action to effect social change. It is a doctrine that emphasizes direct action, particularly in support of or in opposition to a particular social issue. This can occur in a myriad of ways, from speaking out for a cause, to signing petitions, to educating yourself and those around you about an issue. Activism can be led by individuals, done collectively through large social movements, and everything in between.
With so many possibilities under the activist umbrella, many people with many different passions and areas of leadership can define themselves as activists, which is a good thing. For the purposes of this guide, activism will refer to smaller-scale, grassroots organizing concentrated on college campuses and their surrounding communities, particularly that oriented around social justice issues.
Grassroots Organizing
Budding activists are often intimidated by popular conceptions of what activism is: a big, ethereal entity done by powerful, radical people whose goal is to change the entire globe. While some activists may fall into this category and activism does take this form for some people, some of the most influential and important activist

4 work happens at the local level. This is what grassroots organizing is all about: making change at the local level by empowering communities and building personal connections.
Grassroots activism, like activism itself, can take many different forms, including helping with local voter registration, organizing a protest in response to a local event, lobbying campus officials to institute policy changes, putting up posters for a cause, and much more. What separates grassroots organizing from other types of activism is its reliance on interpersonal connection and local volunteers as opposed to larger, more traditional power structures (a national women’s rights group, for example). And it is important to note that the local nature of grassroots organizing does not mean that it is not capable of bringing about wide-scale change. On the contrary, work done on the local level can often travel and inspire work in other communities, creating a chain reaction resulting in widespread change. Additionally, the individual people touched by activist work in local communities can carry that spirit of change with them as they move from place to place, spreading the legacy of local movements across the country and the world.
Social Justice
This guide, while applicable to many different types of activism, is specifically geared toward social justice work, which is a specific genre of activism that describes movement toward a socially just world. As such, social justice is based on the principles of equality and human rights, and social justice activists fight to end oppression and break down structures of privilege such as classism, sexism, racism, and homophobia. While there are many other types of activists (such as environmentalists, animal rights activists, etc.), social justice activists are unique in that their activism focuses solely on human interaction and social inequality.
Social justice work, like other forms of activism, can be done at many levels, from the very large (international) to the very small (local). On the local level, for example, a student could work to educate other students about issues that affect diverse communities, they could work with university administration to create policy changes to better meet the needs of diverse communities, they could make a poster campaign to spread awareness, and so much more. The possibilities for social justice work are basically endless, ensuring that just about every student interested in social justice activism can find something that interests them.
Miami University has a rich history of campus activism, with engaged students working in nearly every sector of activist work, from the environment to gay rights and everything in between. Because of this, it is both impossible and beyond the scope of this guide to construct a truly complete history of activism at Miami. This section, therefore, will highlight just a few notable examples of campus activism so that students may have an idea of what activism at Miami might look like.
Feminist Activism at Miami 1
Traditionally a men’s college, Miami opened its doors to women in 1885, and in 1912, a group called the
Women's Self Government Organization was founded. All women automatically belonged, and the group served as a women's parallel to men's student government. During the 1950's, the title of the group was changed to the Association for Women Students. Historically, some issues addressed by AWS included visitation hours, women students' living situations, and dress codes.
In 1974, women's and men's government merged to create what is now Associated Student Government
(ASG), and AWS no longer automatically included all women. Women had to join and pay dues, and the group

5 began functioning as a special interest group. However, the group did not originally identify itself as a feminist group. As one member explained, "We are not really women's libbers or radicals…Our main objective is to increase people's awareness of themselves and increasing the human potential.’”
In October 1979, the Oxford chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW) held Oxford's first Take
Back the Night March to increase awareness about sexual assault and violence against women. In light of the march, the Women's Resource Center (WRC) (founded in 1977 with a mission to help and support women) began offering a discussion and support group for survivors of rape or sexual assault. As men were historically excluded from Take Back the Night, men students mainly from Western campus organized an alternative program in support of the marchers in 1987. In January of 1993, two men students initiated a group called
Men Against Rape. The group (now called MARS, or Men Against Rape and Sexual Assault) holds weekly discussions on the topic, in an attempt to raise awareness of men students and get men involved in activism against violence towards women.
AWS (now called The F-Word: Feminists Working on Real Democracy) continues to hold Take Back the Night
Marches each year, as well as many other events concerning women’s issues. Using panels, classes, speakers, conferences, consciousness raising groups, and peer education programs, feminists continue to spread their message through campus and Oxford's community.
Black Student Activism 2 and Freedom Summer 3
Miami University had a limited, but significant, early history of antiracist political activism. The Campus Interracial Club, which was founded in 1946, was the first recorded student organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for black students at Miami. Later, in 1968, black students at Miami mobilized to create the
Black Student Action Association (BSAA). The BSAA protested admissions practices, curricula, faculty and staff hiring practices, and campus racism. The BSAA also addressed the plight of African Americans throughout the country. The activities of the BSAA during these years were the origins of major initiatives for diversity and inclusion at the University.
One notable activism event at Miami that spread beyond the university itself was the “Mississippi Freedom
Summer Project”. Although it lasted less than three months, from early June to late August 1964, the project had an enormous effect on American society. The Project was created by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee (SNCC) with four goals: to expand Black voter registration in Mississippi; to create the Mississippi
Freedom Democratic Party to challenge the all-White Democratic delegates to the national convention; to create community centers where Blacks could obtain legal and medical assistance; and to create “Freedom
Schools” where Black children could learn reading and math. This building momentum was in preparation for the 1964 Presidential election and had a significant impact, not only on the participants’ lives, but also on the history of the United States through both intentional and unintentional outcomes. Despite not accomplishing all of its goals, this Project most importantly managed to bring the national spotlight, both politically and through the media, on the discrimination against Blacks in Mississippi and throughout the U.S.
The training for this project was held at the Western College for Women, which at the time was not a part of
Miami University. In fact, Miami University’s president and alumni discouraged the Western College’s connection to civil rights activism and did not welcome such activism on Miami’s campus. Nevertheless, more than 800 volunteers gathered and college students from across the country were recruited and came to the training sessions. Three of these students were murdered for their activism in Mississippi. Despite its initial distaste for this activist work, in 1999 the University officially accepted and celebrated “Freedom Summer”

with the building of a memorial to those who participated in the training program, and the establishment of the Freedom Summer walking tour.
LGBTQ Activism 4
In 1984, Miami students attempted to form a group called the Gay/Lesbian Alliance, but due to harassment and other issues, the group quickly dissolved. Two years later, students were able to gather again under the name Gay and Lesbian Alliance. The group grew in numbers and in financial support over the next few years and in 1989 became known as the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Alliance in order to officially include bisexual students. Around 2000, the group became known as Spectrum, in order to welcome a broad range of sexual orientations and gender identities.
On Saturday, October 19, 2002, twelve people who listed themselves as “out” in the National Coming Out Day ad received a hate letter via e-mail. In response to this action and a racially motivated cross-burning that had occurred the same weekend, Spectrum, along with MU Solidarity and other groups of minority students on campus joined together on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2002, for a No-Hate rally and protest. The rally led to a march through the streets of Oxford. President Garland and Lt. Andrew Powers, from the Miami University
Police Department, issued statements condemning the hate crimes.
In 2009, Spectrum held its first Pride Parade as part of LGBTQ Awareness Week, and has done so every year since. Spectrum continues to meet weekly and hold activist events and push for inclusion and equality around
Miami’s campus. As recently as 2012, student activists have pushed for transgender-inclusive housing, initiatives to increase LGBTQ student welcoming on campus, and greater outreach to other organizations including students of faith and Greek communities.
The first step to being an activist is finding an issue that you are passionate about, or an area that you would like to make a difference in. If an issue does not immediately come to you or you feel that there are too many to take on, think about what you like to read or talk about the most. You may want to talk to people whom you really respect and agree with, as they could give you ideas for ways to get involved, or you could talk to representatives from various campus organizations. You can also go online to ‘discover’ your area of interest. www.dosomething.org
provides outlines of many areas in which activism is currently happening. Explore and find your passion!
Once you have found your interest, there are several ways to address how that interest will manifest itself in your activism. If your area of activism is students of color, for example, you will have to decide what you want to focus on within that issue. Do you want to create a community and support group for students of color? Do you want to work with university officials to help recruit students of color and diversify the campus? Do you want to hold awareness events to educate the campus about issues that students of color face? The use of tools such as the Social Change Wheel (below) can help you to see what role you want to take in the change.
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Philanthropy: Raising money to support a cause or give to a charitable organization. Example: the campus LGBTQ group holds a drag show to benefit a local suicide-prevention organization.
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Community and Economic Development: Activities that identify and increase the human and/or economic assets of a neighborhood/community. Example: assisting in a job skill development program for people who are homeless.
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Voting and Formal Political Activities: Mobilizing influence on public policy through formal political channels such as campaign work, voting, or voter registration. Example: The local chapters of the
League of Women Voters partners with the Women’s Center to hold a voter registration drive on
Women’s Equality Day, the anniversary of women’s suffrage.
 Informal Associations (Mutual Aid): Also known as a benefit society, an organization or voluntary association formed to provide mutual aid, benefit, or insurance for relief from sundry difficulties.
Example: students form an organization to raise money for an assisted living program for people living with AIDS.
 Socially Responsible Daily Behavior: Small daily activities that help to foster change through education and setting a positive example. Example: a student hears a friend say “that’s retarded” and takes the opportunity to explain to their friend that some people might be hurt by the comment, offering alternative non-hurtful things to say instead.
 Community Based Participatory Research: Research that is conducted as an equal partnership between traditionally trained "experts" and members of a community, where community members participate fully in the research process. Example: Miami’s Gerontology program partners with a local nursing home to evaluate nursing home practices and develop programs to allow residents to live better and more independently.

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Advocacy: The act of speaking out on behalf of a particular cause or group of people. Can take many different forms, and can be large- or small-scale. Example: An activist working for the rights of women and children against abuse works with government officials to create policy and also travels to schools to give seminars about what abuse looks like and how to combat it.
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Community Organizing: A process where people who live in proximity to each other come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. Example: Black community members and allies come together to stage a protest against police brutality targeting Black people.
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Charitable Volunteerism: Doing volunteer work for the benefit of a charitable cause or organization.
Example: a student spends weekends packing lunches for an organization that distributes bagged lunches to homeless youth.
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Social Entrepreneurship: Identifying or recognizing a social problem and using entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a social venture to achieve a desired social change.
Example: A large corporation creates a Women's Empowerment program that empowers women by providing education, cooperative farming, vocational training, savings planning, and business development to impoverished women.
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Protests and Demonstrations: Action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause. Example: The campus LGBT group holds a protest on campus in response to a recent string of hate crimes against LGBT people.
 Community-Building: A field of practices directed toward the creation or enhancement of community among individuals within a regional area (such as a neighborhood) or with a common interest. Example: Northside Lesbians, a group for lesbians in the Northside neighborhood of
Cincinnati, holds social events and potlucks every month for members and their friends.
One activist or group can, of course, focus on more than one of these areas. But if that is your objective, it is important to remember that it is difficult for one group to be everything for all people. Focusing on multiple areas is possible, but it is important to think critically about where you are putting your time and resources, the needs that you are meeting, and how well you are meeting them. A good strategy is starting with small, concrete goals and then expanding out into other activism areas once you have built a network of support and resources. For example, you could form a community group for your issue and then expand into policy work if you have community members who are interested.
Having a working knowledge of power and privilege is essential for doing social justice work, as it helps an activist to better understand the systems of inequality and oppression against which their social justice work is aimed. Below is a breakdown of some of the concepts involved in understanding power and privilege.
Privilege
Privilege is essentially a system that gives unearned advantages, favors, and benefits to members of dominant groups at the expense of members of target groups, and it operates on personal, interpersonal, cultural, and institutional levels. In the United States, privilege is often granted to people who are members of particular identity groups, such as:

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White people
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Able-bodied people
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Heterosexuals
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Males
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Christians
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Middle and upper-class people
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Middle-aged people
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English-speaking people
Privilege is characteristically invisible to people who have it. People in dominant groups often believe that they have earned the privileges that they enjoy or that everyone could have access to these privileges if only they worked to earn them. In fact, privileges are unearned and they are granted to people in the dominant groups whether they want those privileges or not, and regardless of their stated intent. Unlike targets of oppression, people in dominant groups are frequently unaware that they are members of the dominant group due to the privilege of being able to see themselves as persons rather than stereotypes.
An important note to remember about privilege is that privileges are contextual and overlapping, and are not always universal. For example, gay people often do not enjoy the privilege of feeling safe to show affection in public, whereas straight people often do. But there are areas in which a straight, interracial couple might also be in danger showing affection in public. Even though the latter couple is heterosexual, they do not always have equal access to heterosexual privilege.
Part of being an activist is not only being able to understand the privilege of other people, but being able to understand your own privilege. A lot of people’s inclination is to get defensive when they are called on their privilege, but for the record, you are not bad for having privilege, and you do not need to feel guilty about it.
Every one of us is privileged in some way, and our privilege is not something we earned or asked for.
Understanding privilege is an ongoing process that will help you to understand how to be a better ally for groups that you are not a part of, and will help you participate in minority discussion/movements without taking over their space or feeling left out. For example: being able-bodied grants an individual privileges such as (among other things) not having to worry about being able to access public events, not having to negotiate housing accommodations, and being able to reach every shelf at the grocery store. For able-bodied people, being able to notice these areas where they are privileged helps them to better understand and be a better advocate for the disabled community.
Oppression
Oppression is a system of privilege that discriminates against some groups (“target groups”) and benefits other groups (“dominant groups”). Examples of these systems are racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, classism, ageism, and anti-Semitism. These systems enable dominant groups to exert control over target groups by limiting their rights, freedom, and access to basic resources such as health care, education, employment, and housing.

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Targets of oppression are members of social identity groups that are disenfranchised, exploited, and victimized in a variety of ways by agents of oppression and the agent’s systems or institutions. These target groups are subject to containment (having their choices and movements restricted and limited), exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence. Moreover, targets of oppression typically have fewer “life chances” or benefits as a result of their membership in a particular social group. As examples, there is a higher likelihood that African American males will be arrested than Caucasian males; there is a greater chance that males will have a higher salary than females; and there is a higher probability that persons using a wheelchair for mobility will have fewer job opportunities than able-bodied people.
Internalized Oppression: This is the process whereby people in the target group make oppression internal and personal by coming to believe that the lies, prejudices, and stereotypes about them are true. Members of target groups exhibit internalized oppression when they alter their attitudes, behaviors, speech, and selfconfidence to reflect the stereotypes and norms of the dominant group. Internalized oppression can create low self-esteem, self-doubt, and even self-loathing. It can also be projected outward as fear, criticism, and distrust of members of one’s target group.
Allies
An ally is a person who supports and advocates for a group that they are not a part of. An ally’s commitment to dismantling oppression is reflected in a willingness to do the following:
 Educate oneself about oppression
 Learn from and listen to people who are targets of oppression
 Examine and challenge one’s own prejudices, stereotypes, and assumptions
 Work through feelings of guilt, shame, and defensiveness to understand what is beneath them and what needs to be healed
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Learn and practice the skills of challenging oppressive remarks, behaviors, policies, and institutional structures
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Act collaboratively with members of the target group to dismantle oppression
An important paradigm of social justice work of any type, intersectionality is a concept used to describe the ways in which oppressive institutions (racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, classism, etc.) are interconnected and cannot be examined separately from one another. The theory suggests that—and seeks to examine how—various biological, social, and cultural categories such as gender, race, class, ability, sexual orientation, and other categories of identity interact on multiple and often simultaneous levels, contributing to systematic social inequality. Intersectionality holds that the interconnectedness of oppressive institutions creating a system of oppression that reflects the "intersection" of multiple forms of discrimination.
In more relatable terms, intersectionality seeks to recognize that people exist at all times along multiple spectrums of identity, and are thus affected by multiple systems of privilege and oppression. Additionally, it seeks to examine the ways in which these spheres of oppression interact with each other, resulting in different experiences of oppression among people, even if those people belong to the same identity group.
An example: in the aftermath of the 2008 Proposition 8 campaign in California, it was determined that communities of color voted overwhelmingly in favor of eliminating same-sex marriage, a fact which sparked

11 heavy tensions between Blacks and Latinos on one hand, and the LGBT community on the other. These tensions, however, were often premised on the assumption that these constituencies were utterly distinct warring camps and that neither was part of the other. But for those simultaneously members of both communities, the outcome has been particularly tragic: in the rallies, marches and civic debate following the elections, LGBT people of color suffered raced-based insults from other LGBT community members and homophobic insults from other people of color. Moreover, a significant factor that permits these destructive politics to prevail is the failure to imagine, elevate, and incorporate the sensibilities of LGBT people who are
Black and Latino into the agenda setting of both the LGBT and people of color communities.
An important thing to remember about intersectionality, however, is that while it is often talked about specifically in terms of overlapping disenfranchised (often minority) communities (as in the above example), intersectionality is broader than that. Rather, it looks at the ways in which privileges and oppression of all types overlap and manifest themselves differently when accompanied by different identities. For example, one could look at the ways in which racism operates differently for an upper-middle-class Black person than for a lower-class Black person, or the ways in which queer homeless people’s experiences differ from straight homeless people’s.
Why is Intersectionality Important?
Naturally, intersectionality is a complex concept that takes time and effort to incorporate into one’s activist work, but having an intersectional perspective ultimately makes for more effective, more inclusive, more lasting, and more rewarding activist work. At its most basic level, intersectionality helps one to to better understand the complex dynamics of power and privilege, which can make you a more sensitive activist and arm you with new tools to begin to break down systems of oppression. But more than that, an intersectional approach can help your activism to be more inclusive of different perspectives and communities, so that your activism invites people to participate instead of alienating them. This can ultimately help your cause/project to grow stronger because it allows you to work with/for a more diverse range of people and communities.
Ultimately, seeing intersectionalities helps activists to focus on what different identity groups have in
common, rather than what makes them different. This naturally helps groups to better work together, and also helps them avoid unproductive and unnecessarily divisive games of “oppression Olympics” (“my oppression is worse than yours!” “Oh yeah? Well my oppression…”).
As a side note, taking an intersectional perspective does not mean you are expected to carry the banner of every oppressed group. Doing so would most certainly be not only impossible, but ineffective. Intersectionality does not come at the price of losing the integrity of your unique cause. Rather, intersectionality simply challenges activists to bear in mind the multiple identities of everyone and the way in which oppressions can interrelate, and also challenges them to be as inclusive as possible, facets ultimately leading to stronger activism.
It is easy to understand why the most inclusive activists are often the most successful. An inclusive organization, project, or environment is one that invites all people to participate and openly acknowledges and welcomes the contributions of people on the entire spectrum of identity. As such, inclusive organizations are open-minded and committed to listening as well as acting. By making your organization, event, or project inclusive, you can not only reach out to a greater number of people and resources, you create a model for a

12 socially just world: one that is diverse but unified, where no groups are oppressed, and where difference is celebrated. In social justice circles, a term for this is radical inclusivity.
Radical inclusivity can be defined as the intentional inclusion of every person in the community. Fitting this term into an organizational framework requires thoughtful effort, as it sometimes challenges major, fundamental, deep-seated beliefs; and those challenges cannot be marginalized. Paying attention to radical inclusivity while structuring your group will help to decrease stereotypical and unhelpful characterizations of certain groups; however, more than that, these foundational practices will help to limit non-unifying behavior, oppression, and exclusion — all which have plagued social justice movements and have often stymied progress.
As a note, radical inclusivity and intersectionality are related, but distinct, concepts. Whereas intersectionality operates on a larger, more ideological level (understanding the complex dynamics of oppression and privilege, and re-conceptualizing the way different identities talk to each other), radical inclusivity operates on a smaller, more practical level, and it has to do with making sure that organizations are considerate of multiple perspectives on an issue.
What are some ways to achieve radical inclusivity?
Any community with which a social justice activist might work is made up of different ethnicities, ages, gender identities, sexualities, physical abilities, spiritual perspectives, and socio-economic levels, each bringing along a unique set of strengths that will benefit the movement. It is important to always keep this in mind because an activist cannot claim to work for all women (let’s say) while ignoring the needs and perspectives of women of color. It’s imperative, therefore, that each individual member has a voice and that a variety of individuals are included in leadership roles. Simply inviting “everyone” to a meeting is not enough –you must intentionally seek out those from under-represented communities, build relationships with them, work with them on their issues, and make your issues relevant to them.
Some tips for seeking radical inclusivity:
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Find out what people need and how you can help them get it. Are locals interested in health care?
Jobs? Find out, and find out how your communities can collaborate together for the mutual benefit of all.
 Actively seek feedback and evaluation of your work in order to be more accountable.
 In meetings and conversations, encourage everyone to actively engage, listen, speak, and act with respect. If people are dominating an argument, point that out to the group and suggest a go-around to get more people talking.
 Prioritize and build relationships with impacted communities and a broad base of constituents across social, economic, and political boundaries.
 Listen to, learn from, and amplify the voices of your allies, yet don’t expect anyone to be a spokesperson for their community.
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Make formal organizational commitments to non-discrimination. Make it clear in every way possible that your group does not tolerate discrimination in any form and that no actions or speech that will alienate people because of their gender, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, nationality, or social or ethnic origin will be considered acceptable in your group.
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Make sure social events are inclusive. For example, if all of your social events involve alcoholic substances, you immediately alienate people who don't or can’t drink alcohol.

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Pay attention to leadership and who has decision-making power.
Representation vs. Radical Inclusion
Having a person from an underrepresented community or organization begin to regularly attend/participate in your group is a great starting point towards radical inclusion. This should further motivate your efforts to consistently and consciously do outreach to those communities, because having one face in the crowd to represent an entire community is not radical inclusivity—that is tokenism, although it is also a starting point.
Remember that inclusivity is always a process, never a finished task. Thus, you should always be striving to be more inclusive in your organizing.
To get a group or project rolling, it is imperative to set concrete activism goals for you and/or your group.
While the idea of simply “jumping in and doing stuff” can sound appealing, success can only be measured by the extent to which you do or do not achieve a predetermined goal. Not only that, but setting concrete goals gives energy and direction to an activist project and forces you to think critically about and streamline your activist work, making it more tangible and easier for others to get on board. Therefore, setting goals is an important (if not the most important) first step to becoming a successful activist.
A useful acronym common in goal-setting theory is SMART. SMART is a set of criteria describing all of the features that a goal should have in order for it to be successfully attained, and it is an excellent way for a budding activist to begin to develop an activist gameplan.
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S
– Specific: The goal and the language behind it are clear and unambiguous, rather than general. To make a goal specific, you should know exactly what is expected, why is it important, who’s involved, where it is going to happen, and which attributes are important.
M
– Measurable: Stresses the need for concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of the goal. The thought behind this is that if a goal is not measurable, it is not possible to know whether a team is making progress toward successful completion. You should be able to answer
“how many?”, “how much?”, or “will I know when it’s accomplished?”
A – Action-Oriented: The goal is such that it calls for action, allowing you to do something. This helps you to generate a concrete plan with steps to achieve your goal, and also helps to hold group members accountable for their assigned tasks. You should be able to articulate what actions will go into your goal and at whom those actions are directed.
R – Realistic: The goal is attainable, such that you could see it being achieved within your time frame.
While an attainable goal may stretch a team in order to achieve it, the goal is not extreme. That is, the goals are neither out of reach nor below standard performance. You should be able to imagine ways that the goal could be accomplished.
T
– Time-Targeted: Goals should be grounded within a time frame, giving them a target date. A commitment to a deadline helps a team focus its efforts on completion of the goal on or before the due date. This is intended to prevent goals from being overtaken by the day-to-day crises that invariably arise in an organization. You should be able to answer the questions, “When should this be completed?” or “What can I do in 6 months?”

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Goals and Sub-Goals
As a social justice activist, you probably have big ideas for the kind of change you’d like to see in your community. That is great and highly encouraged, but it can also be overwhelming because the bigger a goal is, the more impossible it seems, which can lead many activists to feel burned out. Using the SMART criteria can help you break these lofty goals down into smaller, more manageable ones that can be realistically achieved.
In addition to making an abstract idea more tangible, you can also make sub-goals to serve larger goals. This can help you to better manage the time frame of a larger goal and is also useful in delineating tasks amongst a group of people. For example, if your ultimate goal is to pass an inclusive non-discrimination bill for your city, some sub-goals could include collecting signatures for a petition, having meetings with city officials, phone banking, or designing billboards. If you have a collection of sub-goals, then, you can decided the time frame in which each goal should be completed, and you can divide the goals up amongst your team so as to serve your goal from multiple angles.
Goals are almost never set in stone, and it is also okay to change or re-think your goals if your circumstances change or if you misjudged your own abilities. While this can go both ways (increasing or decreasing the scope of your goal, increasing or decreasing the time frame, etc.) for a variety of reasons, you are encouraged, if you can help it, not to change your goals too much or too often because it is easy to fall into the trap of setting many goals but never getting around to fully completing them. Remember that depth is usually better than breadth when it comes to goal-setting.
Examples of SMART Goals
Example 1

Bad SMART Goal: The Women’s Center wants to do more student-centered programming.

Good SMART Goal: The Women’s Center will put on two major student-centered programs each semester, one near the beginning and one at mid-term. Within each semester, one program will take place in an outdoor area on campus and one inside the Center, so that students within and beyond the
Center will be engaged. (The individual programs could then be further broken down into their own goals)
Example 2
 Bad SMART Goal: The F-Word wants more members.
 Good SMART Goal: The F-Word will participate in MegaFair, with the goal of adding 100 new people to the listserv. It will then use the listserv and social media to keep these members in the loop, encouraging them to attend meetings. The organization will take headcounts at every meeting throughout the semester to track the growth of regular membership.
Example 3
 Bad SMART Goal: I want to be a better day-to-day activist.

Good SMART Goal: For the next month, I will try to speak up whenever I hear people around me using non-inclusive or discriminatory language. I will also try to make my own language more inclusive at the same time.

15
One of the misconceptions surrounding activist work is that activism is all about organizations and that any budding activist either needs to find an organization or start one. While having organizational backing can be helpful in many ways, an organization is by no means a requirement for activism. Solo activism, in fact, can often be a better approach for creating change at the college campus level. Every activist, therefore, must figure out for themselves which form of activism is better suited for them. Some questions to ask yourself in this process might be:
 Are my goals better met by means of an organization or just one person?

Do I like working in groups or by myself?
 Do the organizations available share my goals?

Do I think my issue is “big” enough that I could start an organization for it?

Do I want to start an organization?

What fits better with my schedule and preexisting commitments?
An important point to bear in mind when choosing what “type” of activist to be is that you are never beholden to any one type: it is easy to switch between group and solo activist work, to do both at the same time, or to start at one and end up at the other. Being flexible and having experience working in both fields can sometimes even be the best way to stay active and productive as your goals change. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find out what feels right for you.
Benefits of Solo Activism

Solo activists are not beholden to the will/needs of a larger group, allowing them more freedom to do work in the specific area about which they are most passionate.

Solo activists don’t have to struggle to find/make a group that aligns with their goals and ideals.
 Solo activists create their own time commitments and workloads, so it is ideal for people who have busy/complicated schedules or who only want to be involved “part-time”.
 Solo activism relies more heavily on personal connections with people and networking.
 Solo activism lends itself better to work that involves individuals, such as lobbying for policy reform, leading a workshop, or advocacy.
 Solo activism is a good option for people who want to be active in causes that haven’t yet built up a lot of community support.
 It is much easier to travel as a solo activist, making it easier to network with other activists/organizations or participate in conferences.
Benefits of Group Activism

Power in Numbers: groups are easier to notice and draw more attention from people. Therefore, group activists might have an easier time promoting and gaining widespread support for their causes.

16

Organizations include people from a wide range of backgrounds and skillsets, so group activists can benefit from the diversity of skills, perspectives, and ideas available in a group setting.

Groups can apply to receive funding for large-scale events, campaigns, and advertising.

Groups (particularly official campus organizations) are often considered more “legitimate” and their causes are sometimes taken more seriously by students and administrators.

Groups lend themselves better to sectors of activism such as community building, protests/demonstrations, and philanthropy.

Because multiple people work together in a group setting, work is shared among individuals so that one individual needn’t be burdened with all the work and the group can also pick up the slack for an individual when needed.
If one of these styles speaks more to your activism style, then go for it! But if not, no problem! Think about your goals and how they would be best achieved, and consider the resources around you. Once you have formulated a game plan, jump in!
Personal Activism
One of the beautiful things about activism is that it can really be whatever you want to make of it: activism can be very big or very small; a huge one-time event or a small daily activity. Activism in the latter form is often called personal activism. In personal activism, activists don’t need to rely on groups of people, organizations, legislators, or administrators. Rather, they can do activism by integrating social justice principles into their daily lives.
True to its namesake, personal activism most often starts with the person. It involves taking a look at yourself and asking tough questions to help foster personal change. For example, if you are concerned about the climate for LGBT people in your community, you might ask yourself if you have any internalized prejudices or biases toward LGBT people and start working to eliminate them. Or you might begin to notice the moments in your life where you exercise privilege and think about ways that you could be more inclusive. Further, you may notice where you have holes in your knowledge about the LGBT community and begin your own research to fill those gaps.
Even one person acting with integrity and conviction sends a powerful signal that there is another way to approach life besides passive acceptance. Furthermore, personal change is a necessary prelude to community change because people won’t follow a person who doesn’t practice what they promote.
Next, you can challenge yourself to integrate activism into your everyday life. Naturally, there are countless ways to do this, but they could include, for example:

Speaking up when you hear non-inclusive or hurtful language such as “that’s so gay” or “that’s retarded”

Using positive, inclusive language in your own speech

Signing a petition that you support

Being open and honest with other people about your beliefs

17

Telling your story

Making yourself available as a supportive and educational resource for others

Reporting prejudiced behavior to the appropriate authority (manager, resident assistant, etc.)

Displaying/wearing a symbol of your commitment to your cause (T-Shirt, Safe Space button, Coexist sticker, etc.)
It might be intimidating at first to do things like speaking up about someone else’s discriminatory language or telling your own story as an activist/advocate, but personal activism can really be one of the most powerful forms of activism because it allows you to connect directly with others and puts a real, human face on the issue that you’re advocating for. And the more you do personal activism, the easier it becomes.
That said, we are all people before we are activists, and as such it is unreasonable to believe that we can be activists all the time. While there is something to be said for getting outside of your comfort zone, everybody has their own limits, and respecting those limits and taking care of oneself should be an activist’s first priority.
Therefore, it is entirely appropriate to start small and work your way up (challenging yourself little by little), to delineate “time off” from being an activist, or to decide not to speak up when a given activist opportunity presents itself. There will always be new people and new opportunities.
5
Finding a group or organization to get involved in is a great way to begin making change as an activist, especially if you are exploring the world of social justice for the first time. A group can provide structure and guidance to those new to activism, as well as additional involvement and networking opportunities for even the most seasoned activist. This section discusses the ins and outs of campus organizations as well as other local and national organizations focusing on social justice issues.
Campus Organizations
There are hundreds of student organizations on Miami’s campus, representing an incredible diversity of interests, passions, and activities. Some Miami organizations in which activists might be interested are listed below, but there are many more. Feel free to explore, pop into a few meetings, or go to MegaFair to find out what might be a good fit for you. Please bear in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive, and only serves to provide a cross-section of some of the kinds of organizations that are available on campus. For a complete list of registered student organizations (including their websites, contact info, etc.) visit miamioh.edu/hub .

Association of Latin and American Students (ALAS) – Seeks to promote awareness of Latin American and
Spanish cultures through social, cultural, and community events.
 Autism Speaks – U – Aims to engage the campus and local community in awareness, advocacy, and fundraising efforts to help individuals and families affected by autism.
 Best Buddies – A non-profit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for college students to have one-to-one friendships with people who have intellectual and developmental disabilities.
 Black Student Action Association (BSAA) – Aims to increase Black representation for the purpose of

18 bettering the conditions of Black students on this campus.

College Democrats - Mission is to represent the Democratic Party by fostering a liberal environment on campus through political dialogue, outreach, and advocacy.

College Republicans - Meets weekly to discuss current political issues and inform the student body about the conservative movement.

The F-Word: Feminists Working on Real Democracy - A feminist student organization composed of individuals who desire to address, through discussion, activism, and support, important issues that specifically concern the women of Miami University.

Love You Like a Sister (LYLAS) - LYLAS is a support group for women on campus, operating under the principles of pride, achievement, knowledge, refinement, respect, and sisterhood.
 Pro-Choice Miami (PCM) - Pro-Choice Miami is a student-led organization concerned with protecting and promoting reproductive health, freedom, and justice.

Secular Students of Miami - This organization stands to promote and practice the open, rational, and scientific examination of the universe and our place in it, provide a community for atheists, agnostics, and skeptics, and advocate for the separation of church and state.
 Spectrum - Miami University's undergraduate LGBTQ-straight alliance, holding weekly meetings and building a strong community with roots in education, activism, awareness, and acceptance.
 Student Activists for Language and Cultural Exchange (SALCE) - SALCE exists to teach English to nonnative speakers while fostering a closer relationship with Southwest Ohio’s growing immigrant community.
 To Write Love on Her Arms - A non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide.
 Urban Leaders - Dedicated to creating social change in urban communities. Urban Leaders work with the community, rather than for it, to address pressing social issues such as educational inequity, poverty, hunger, homelessness, and more.

Walking Theatre Project - WTP is a social activist theatre group that believes theatre can change people's beliefs and actions as well as raise awareness about social issues. They write pieces in response to issues such as gay marriage and sexual assault inspired by campus events.

Women Against Violence and Sexual Assault (WAVES) - WAVES is a group of women with a goal to promote awareness and education to the Miami community surrounding rape, sexual assault, and sexual violence.
In the case that these organizations don’t meet your goals, there are other options for action. If you are able, creating a student organization is the simplest way to fill that void, and receive funding at the same time. The
Student Organization guidelines from the Office of Student Activities will help you with the logistics of forming your organization. If you are unable, or choose not to form an official student organization, much of this information still applies. However, you may find it beneficial to link with a student organization or on-campus

19 group for funding or transportation.
Here is some information from the Student Organizations Handbook to get you started.
Student Org Registration:
To receive university services and ASG privileges, the organization must have an established president and advisor, who must complete the annual registration process by September 15th of each year. To begin the annual registration process, the president needs to access the registration page from the Student Activities website (link below) and follow the prompts. Once they have completed their portion of the annual registration, the student needs to inform the organization’s on-campus advisor so the advisor can review the organization’s information. Annual registration must be completed by both the president and on-campus advisor so student organizations can continue to receive university services and privileges such as Print Center services, IT Services, reserving campus space, and hosting events.
Links to Student Org Registration, Advisor Handbooks, etc.: http://www.miamioh.edu/student-life/activitiesleadership/osal/student-organizations/index1.html
Before starting a new organization, Student Activities requires the following on application forms: president, treasurer, and on- campus advisor names, the names of ten (10) student members, and the student organization’s constitution.
Be sure to include the following in the student organization’s constitution:

Official name of the student organization

Date when the constitution was ratified

Describe purpose/mission of the group

Officer requirements and functions
 Election procedures of officers
 Meeting and attendance requirements o If there are no attendance requirements - there must be stated Expulsion requirements and procedures for officers and members o List any financial obligations of members – if none, source of income/funding must be stated
Once the application is submitted, it will be reviewed by Student Activities. If approved, the president and advisor will receive an e-mail with confirmation and registration procedures.
6
Once you have started a group (official or not), the next step involves recruiting members to your cause. There are many ways to do this: advertising (posters, table tents), word of mouth, e-mail, social media, etc. Once people have started expressing interest in the group, you will need to sell the group and “hook” the new members. The following is a list of things to consider when recruiting new members.

20
1.
Wholesale (posters, table tents, A-Frames, listserv) vs. Retail (phonebanking, petitioning)
2.
Provide opportunities for people to get involved right away (People who are inspired to act tend to want to do it as soon as possible)
3.
Provide a variety of opportunities (not everyone can petition and some people aren’t people-people, etc.
These people could work on research or making contacts online)
4.
Make it easy to get started (non-intimidating first event: be very clear about what they will be doing)
5.
Create community (make people feel like they belong: create opportunities for people to get to know each other through meeting structure and outside social events)
6.
Be optimistic, but be real (don’t leave people thinking that nothing can be done, but don’t sugarcoat the issue)
7.
The 4 C’s
1.
Connection – meet people and get your face out there
2.
Context – share what you are doing and why
3.
Commitment – make people want to get involved
4.
Catapult – start action immediately!
Social Media
Social Media networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr are an incredibly powerful (if not essential) way to spread awareness about your group or your events, particularly now as the student population gets more and more heavily invested in social media platforms. Using Facebook, for example, you can:

Create a page for your group o This page, much like a website, can include pictures, information, and resources concerning your group and serve as a way to keep members or interested parties up-to-date with events going on. o When people “like” this page, it will appear on their news feed, allowing their friends to see it
(and hopefully “like” it as well).
 Create Facebook events o Allows people to see details for each particular event and allows you (and your group) to invite your friends, who may in turn invite their friends. o When friends click “attending”, this appears on their (and their friends’) news feed. o Gives attendees an automatic reminder on the day of the event. o Alerts attendees to changes in event details.

21 o Provides a link to post on other pages.
Twitter and Tumblr allow you to create a profile for your group so that followers are alerted every time you post an update.
Class Visits
Class visits are another great way to spread your message and get recognition for your cause. Students in the class will have a chance to see you and ask questions if they are interested, which will make a more lasting impression than simply receiving an email or flier. You can use class visits just to promote your group or to promote specific events. Here is a basic checklist you can use to conduct these visits.
1.
Introduce yourself and explain briefly who you are representing and what your group does.
2.
Elaborate on what the group offers, the group’s goals, or the goal that brings you in today.
3.
Explain what you came to talk about. What is it? Why is it important? Why should you care?
4.
Provide location, meeting times, and contact information. Tell people how to get more information
(Facebook, listserv, etc.)
5.
Pass out fliers or listserv signups if you have them.
6.
Answer any possible questions.
Some groups have regular weekly or monthly meetings to plan and check in with members, while others may be more sporadic and on a ‘when needed’ basis. Both forms of meetings can be very useful, but it is important to think about your group and your goals when making this distinction.
When planning a meeting of any kind, there are three tips that prove useful:
1.
Before scheduling, make sure you need to meet.

Consider: o What do we hope to accomplish by meeting? o Will the benefits of meeting outweigh the inconvenience of planning the meeting, reserving a location, setting aside time, etc.?
2.
Meeting preparation takes as long as the meeting.

Plan for the meeting by possibly: o Defining goals o Making an agenda o Designating a facilitator

22 o Planning a debriefing session with leadership

If you have a regular meeting time and space, some of the logistical planning will not be necessary for every meeting. However, it will be beneficial to check: o Is the time and location of the meeting accessible? o Is the size and layout of the room conducive to your meeting format? o Are there adequate materials, such as a chalk board, sign-in sheet, or materials for people to take? o Will there be refreshments? o How long is the meeting scheduled to take?
3.
Know your goals

In this case, the meeting agenda will serve to provide a timetable for the group to achieve all of its goals of discussion.

It is also a good idea to consider what you want people to be thinking about when they leave the meeting – this way you can structure the agenda around this discussion.
Conflict Management
When a group forms, it is easy to believe that everyone in the group is dedicated enough to always be committed and put the needs of the group high on their list of priorities. This is not the case, however, and life often gets in the way. This is not necessarily a bad thing so much as a fact of life, as well as a product of people’s respective abilities and desires to be engaged. When situations arise where there are feelings of unequal commitment or a difference in goals and opinions, conflict ensues. Avoiding conflict in a group setting will not resolve the issue, and conflicts should be addressed in a manner that is respectful and appropriate. To this end, it can be helpful to set ground rules for your organization from the beginning, not in reaction to a problem. Possible ground rules include:
 One person speaks at a time and only speaks for themselves.
 Always be polite. Disagreements are welcome, but insults and accusations are not.
 Share group time fairly and give everyone a chance to speak, and to listen.
 Delegate adequate time for all members of the group to discuss sensitive topics.
 Create an attendance and discipline policy for all members.

Clarify who will monitor these policies and how they will be enforced.
It is also useful to have policies written out and available for members of the group to see. If there is a conflict that cannot be resolved in the group setting, having a neutral third party mediate the discussion privately at a separate time may be the best way to handle the situation. Conflict management can come in many forms,

23 from preventative ground rules, to open communication, to mediation. It is best if the guidelines for conflict management are detailed and the consequences for breaking the guidelines are clear.
If the conflict arises as a result of members not living up to their expected level of engagement, a useful tactic can be to meet with the student(s), find out what their goals/commitment levels are, and come up with a way for them to stay involved that works with their commitments and comfort level. For example, if a student wants to be involved in planning a large-scale campus event but doesn’t have much time, that person could draft an e-mail, make a flyer, or make a Facebook event while other more involved students could coordinate and staff the event. This way, all the tasks get accomplished and nobody is relied on to do more than they can/want to handle.
If not handled in a respectful and appropriate manner, small and large group conflicts can divide the organization and take away from group goals.
One-on-Ones 7
Another helpful tool for developing relationships, mobilizing people, and solving conflicts is a one-on-one.
These conversations should be planned and can be used for a variety of purposes. You can have one-on-ones with faculty/staff from whom you may want advisement or support, with students or groups that you would like to recruit, or with members of your organization for a check-in. The point of the conversation is to find:
1.
The issues important to them
2.
The values that motivate those issues
3.
What contributions they would be willing and interested in making
4.
What motivates their personal interest in these issues
5.
What other commitments they have
One‐on‐ones can be formal or informal, and can be a useful means to learn more about a person and start a relationship. Here are some things to keep in mind during a one‐on‐one:
 Let the other person do most of the talking.
 Ask a lot of “why” questions that can’t be answered with one word.
 Try to be probing, not prying; you don’t want it to feel like an interview.
 Your goal is to figure out their interests so that you can see how they can best help your activist project.
 Try not to talk about yourself or even your organization at least until the end.
What to do if you are anxious about one-on-ones 5 :

Know that lots of people get nervous when talking to people they don’t know, and that’s ok.

Practice on people you know to make yourself more comfortable.

24

If you are meeting with someone in a position of power, remember that the goal of the meeting is mutual understanding, not interrogation.

Try to start meeting with people earlier in the project to build a relationship, either to yield immediate results, or to establish a future resource. Plant seeds early!

The more one-on-ones you do, the easier they will be!
Another important starting point for an activist project is having a place to meet or hold events. One of the most precious commodities at Miami University is SPACE. It is important to be able to book spaces on campus to hold meetings, planning sessions, phone banking, etc.
The Social Action Center (SAC) and the Women’s Center offer space for folks who are passionate about social justice and women’s issues, want to learn more about them, or just need a comfy, relaxing place to meet!
To reserve the SAC:
Groups, both official and not, are able to use the Social Action Center for meetings and events. Email musocialactioncenter@gmail.com
with the time and date that you would like to use the center, and a member will get back to you and confirm the availability.
To reserve Women’s Center Community Room 8
The Women's Center welcomes individuals, groups and organization to utilize their Community Room space for programs, meetings, planning sessions, conversations, relaxation and reflection. Reservations for regular meetings can be made for up to one semester at a time, and guidelines for use of the Women’s Center can be found on the Women’s Center website, here: http://www.units.muohio.edu/womenscenter/resources-andservices/using-our-space
To schedule a meeting or activity at the Women's Center, contact Rhonda Jackson at 529-1510 or jacksorj@miamioh.edu
.
To reserve a room on campus:
To reserve a room on campus such as a classroom, visit the Office of the Registrar website and then click the link that says ‘room scheduling’, this will take you through all of the steps necessary. At this point, only student groups, staff, and faculty can reserve rooms through this system.
Holding a Campus Event without Reserving Space 9
For shorter events or surprise events such as rallies, sit‐ins, or flash mobs, reserving a space may prove to be counterintuitive to the event itself. In these cases you must be prepared to deal with the consequences such as being asked to leave or even having campus police called. There are also spaces off campus that can be reserved or public spaces that need no reservation.
Remember when holding such events:

25

Have a plan and a backup plan: can the space accommodate all the people that I am expecting?
What if more show up? Where will we go if we are asked to leave?

When asked to leave, be willing to do so without arguing.

Do not tie the name of a university office, group, or student organization to the event so that they cannot be penalized. Instead, make sure it is promoted as unaffiliated students coming together for an important cause.

Try not to do anything that can disrupt the University’s regular functioning.

Consider the implications, impact, and retributions that can occur as a result of the event. Look over the Student Code of Conduct, and think carefully before taking part in any activity that could get you into trouble.
Once you start doing work on your own or you form a group, you may come across an issue or event where you need other people for support. A way to address such an issue is to form a coalition, which is a group of organizations working together for a common purpose. Coalitions can be very helpful in building power around an issue, coming up with new ideas, as well as building networks of resources and simply connecting people.
An important thing to consider when forming a coalition is not only what type of coalition you need, but also what you want that partnership to look like. One could, for example, form a coalition for immediate execution of a major event, and then dissolve. On the other hand, one could also form a coalition to build a longstanding relationship between two groups over many years, so that one group always serves as a resource for the other.
Types of coalitions 10

Endorser (paper tiger) – Group just signs their name as your ally to your event

Active Endorser – Signs their name, but also does activities with you and speaks on your behalf
 Shared Decision Making - More extensive collaboration, groups have meetings or plan events together, and work together on decision making that affects both groups
Why form a paper tiger coalition?
 Power in numbers- you can make your campaign look bigger
 Easier to recruit for the campaign by showing broad support
 Funding - by showing support from a variety of groups or a specific set of people, you may impress funders (Unity funding, donations from Uptown, SAC grants) and/or gain access to different pools of money for funding
 Shared publicity


Community building – if a group is shown to have broad support around campus, community members affiliated with that group will feel more comfortable coming to/being on campus
Disadvantages:

Time consuming to form

May lose pieces of your messaging

Does little to distribute workload
Why do shared decision making?

Bring new perspectives to a project

Shared social events/networking opportunities

Can distribute energy and time among more people
 Shared funding/staff time (see funding section for info on Unity funding)
Disadvantages:
 Time consuming (finding time to meet together, agreeing on decisions)
 Each organization loses some decision making power
 Perspective/Issue conflicts (ex. feminists/religious groups, short term/long term) o Some options for dealing with coalition issue conflicts:
 Not talk about it
 Break coalition or agree to maintain coalition only temporarily
 Create a plan for members to only help with events/activities that are consistent with their values
 Only work with the coalition on certain issues
 Create a space to have a dialogue about the conflict
How to Form a Coalition
1.
Identify groups that might be interested: develop a target list a.
Start with the groups that are most directly affected by the issue
26

27 b.
Think broadly - community groups, labor unions, religious groups, businesses (you may not agree with their entire mission, but could have common ground) c.
Look up groups that have been allies to your group/issue in the past
2.
Prepare materials a.
Issue/campaign literature b.
List of existing coalition members/endorsers c.
Endorsement/membership form
3.
Contact groups a.
E-mail/phone b.
Go door to door (great for local businesses) c.
Attend their meetings d.
Meet with the staff
4.
Follow-up a.
Answer any questions, send any materials, get the commitment
5.
Develop communications systems to keep groups updated and stay connected a.
Email list/listserv b.
Mailings c.
Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
6.
Tracking a.
Use tracking forms
*When doing coalition outreach, use the 4 C’s of recruitment
(
Connection – meet people and get your face out there, Context – share what you are doing and why, Commitment – make people want to get involved,
Catapult – start action immediately)
Ally Power Grid 11
An Ally Power Grid can help you make decisions about groups with which to become allied. This grid, taken from the Community Tool Box ( http://ctb.ku.edu
) provides examples of types of power offered by groups and can give you some things to consider before you form a coalition with a particular group.
Type of Power Rationale Example
Members: How many members does the group have?
The more members the group has, the less likely it is to be ignored.
Money: Will they donate money to your issue?
Donated money and other resources are always helpful in achieving a group’s goals.
A group with 500 members shows up at a school board meeting.
The Women’s Center helped fund your event, enabling you to print more fliers and increase event

28
Credibility: Do they bring special credibility?
Appeal: Do they have special appeal?
Network: Are they part of a large, organized network?
Reputation: Do they have a reputation for toughness?
Skills: Do they have special skills?
Newsworthy: Are they particularly newsworthy?
Loyalty: How closely is the group allied and how much can you trust them?
A group with strong positive recognition in your community will help bring credibility to your own group.
Some groups of people have universal appeal, and if your group is connected with them, it will help your image as well.
A group that has lots of other groups in its network is going to have financial resources, credibility, some political power, and more potential recruits.
Groups with a tough reputation may discourage opponents.
An ally may bring technical, business, or legal skills to your group.
Some groups may have a reputation in the media that make them newsworthy. If they align with you, that might give positive media attention to your cause.
Groups will have different levels of commitment to your cause, and some groups are better at getting things done than others. visibility.
President Hodge comes to your event and speaks on your behalf.
Allying with Relay for Life (a group that raises money to fight cancer) appeals to a wider spectrum of students than allying with Campus Crusade for Christ.
The local chapter of Planned Parenthood has full-time staff who can help your group, as well as more resources and political power.
The local law enforcement officers’ union says they’ll support policy changes for improved safety.
The art student group allies with Spectrum and designs its event posters.
An activist group for children's rights that recently won a major victory offers to give your group technical support.
A large, active student organization donates a lot of time and membership to your cause.
How do you use a Power Grid?
1.
Use a separate grid for each ally whose power you wish to examine.
2.
For each type of power, assess how much of it your ally has and give an example.
3.
Determine the most effective allies by looking at which have more categories of power, or by identifying which allies have the most power relevant to your specific needs. That is, if what you really need is an ally with money, then an ally with special appeal may not necessarily be particularly useful at this stage.
Networking With Other Campuses
If you are interested in forming a coalition, it can sometimes be helpful to reach beyond the Miami community and network with other campuses, particularly if yours is a bigger cause that extends beyond your campus or region. Not only can this help bring in new people and energy to support your cause, it can provide you with new resources and help to foster a sense of unity and solidarity which, depending on your cause, can be tremendously powerful. Networking with other campuses also increases your chances of garnering media attention for your cause and increases the area over which that media coverage will be aired.
The first step to networking with other campuses is to find area colleges/universities and research their student organizations, programs, or offices to figure out who would be most helpful to you and who you might want to contact. Some colleges and universities in the area include:

29

Miami Regional Campuses (Hamilton, Middletown, West Chester) - http://regionals.miamioh.edu/

University of Cincinnati - http://www.uc.edu/

Xavier University - http://www.xavier.edu/

Northern Kentucky University - http://www.nku.edu/

University of Dayton - http://www.udayton.edu/

Wright State University - https://www.wright.edu/

The Ohio State University - http://www.osu.edu/

Ohio University - http://www.ohio.edu/

Earlham College - http://www.earlham.edu/

Wilmington College - http://www.wilmington.edu/
 College of Mount Saint Joseph - http://www.msj.edu/
Once you have found some viable groups or offices that you might want to contact, figure out what exactly it is you will be asking of them. Do you want to plan an event together? Do you want them to attend your event?
Do you want them to lend you their resources? Do you want them to be an endorser? Do you want to be ongoing partners? Do you just want to work with the president of the group, or do you want their whole membership involved? Think concretely about what you want to achieve by forming this coalition, and why, so that you can have a “pitch” ready when you contact other campuses. This way, it will be easier for both parties to get on board with the project, and it will be easier to “sell” your idea to the other group.
When you are ready to contact other campuses directly, find the group/office/person’s contact information and talk to them, or better yet, meet with them in person if possible. Don’t be afraid to contact them multiple times or in multiple ways. After the initial contact, make sure to come up with a plan to stay in contact so that the project can move forward. Refer to the “how to form a coalition” section above for help in this area.
If the issue that you’re advocating for is somehow political in nature (that is, if it is governed/affected by a legal body or policy), lobbying can be a useful and important means of activism. Lobbying, in a nutshell, is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by government officials (often legislators). This can be done in a myriad of different ways, from organizing a petition and sending it to the mayor, to having a meeting with your governor, to staging a protest at the statehouse, and anything in between. The possibilities are endless, and ultimately it will be up to you to figure out if and how lobbying might help your cause and what type of lobbying would be best for you.
An important note about lobbying is that lobbying can be done by individuals or by groups, be they formal or informal. For example, one person could write a letter to their senator, or a group of people could start a letter-writing campaign. An established organization could travel as a unit to their statehouse, or they could send a few representatives. Alternatively, you could organize a lobbying event where anyone (affiliated or not with a formal organization) could attend. It just depends on your or your group’s goals.

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Contacting legislators
If you decide that lobbying is something you’re interested in, the first step is to figure out what “level” your issue is on. Is it primarily a local, state, or national issue? Once you’ve figured that out, you will know who you can contact to start creating change.
If it is a local concern, contact your mayor or city council. If it is a state concern, contact state legislators in your voting district. If it is a national concern, contact senators and representatives in your state and district. You can find updated lists on line.

City of Oxford (City Council, department heads, etc.): http://www.cityofoxford.org/index.asp

Ohio House of Representatives: http://www.house.state.oh.us/index.php?option=com_displaymembers&Itemid=73

Ohio State Senate (elected per district, there is a map of districts on the site): http://www.ohiosenate.gov/directory.html

US House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov/representatives/#state_oh

US Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
The media (in all its forms) can be a very useful tool for spreading your message and recruitment, but can also be difficult to handle when your events/issues garner unwanted media attention.
Types of Publicity 12
The following are types of publicity that could be used to spread awareness of your cause/group/event, some of which are free of charge and some of which require money.
Free Publicity

Facebook, Twitter, and other Social Networking – Be sure to provide concrete information so people can get involved, including the dates, times, and locations of events.

Listservs – See if you can get connected with various listservs that might be pertinent to your cause.
Some examples are the Social Action Center listserv, Women’s Center listserv, department listservs, etc.
 Blogging – You can write your own blog, ask to contribute to a blog, or ask a blogger to write about you.
 The HUB – Register events through the Hub if you are part of an official student organization.
 The Miami Student – Talk to reporters at the Miami Student and see if they would be willing to write a story about you or your event.
Requires Money
 Flyers in Academic Buildings - The more interesting and inviting the flyer, the more people will stop and read about the event.

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
Flyers Distributed to Residence Halls - You can put the flyers in the RA mailboxes in Warfield and mail merge RAs to let them know about the event/program.

Table Tents - Reserved and approved through Student Activities (513-529-2266)

Sandwich Boards – Somewhat costly but very visible

Painted Sheet Signs - cheap and visible!

Ads in the Newspaper - Miami Student, Oxford Press, etc.
Talking to the Press
Talking to the press can be an intimidating process, particularly if you weren’t expecting media attention or you haven’t talked to the press before. But if you prepare yourself to interact with the press, you can ensure that the media will work in your favor and be a positive experience for everyone involved.
Tips when talking to the press:

Plan what you will say in an interview: Think of possible questions you might be asked, and come up with the most concise, coherent, effective way possible to address them. The more concise and clear you are, the more likely you are to be quoted and/or represented properly.
 Don’t make up answers if you don’t know: Because of the impersonal nature of media, it is very difficult to gain credibility and very easy to lose it.
 Contact radio stations, news channels, and newspapers: The more proactive you are in alerting the media of your event, the more likely you are to get coverage. Figure out what media outlets you would most like to talk to. See below.
 Have strong visuals and a clear message: Make sure your events are well-planned and that you have had meetings with the people involved prior to the event, if possible.

Have fun and learn from your mistakes!
Organizing Media Releases
If you want to involve media in your event, there are several ways to go about it.
To garner media attention prior to an event, or to get media to cover your event as it is occurring, you can contact local news outlets to make a statement, or write an opinion/editorial piece. If your goal is to have media participation in your event, it is beneficial to contact them well in advance.
As mentioned, if you will be interviewed by your media source, Be sure to know what you would like the article
to say BEFORE you talk to a media source. This outline can help you think through what you would like to say:

32

Content: What message do you want the article to send? What do you want it to include or not include? You often will not get to preview the final cut of an article or interview before it goes public, so make sure you are as clear as possible in communicating your points and wishes.

Headline: Many papers write their own headlines, and often the headline writer is separate from the author of the article. Write your own headline if you can, or suggest possible headlines that get to the heart of your issue.

Visual: Make sure that pictures or camera footage are reflective of your goals and wishes.

Soundbites: Try to provide “quotable quotes”: simple, clear, concise statements that are easily taken as soundbites or direct quotes. Make sure these statements communicate your position and/or goals clearly, so that you will have the greatest possible opportunity to be represented accurately.
Local Media to Contact:

Miami Student – The Miami University student-run newspaper. They accept editorials directly, or you can ask that a story be written about you or your cause/organization/event, in which case they will connect you with a reporter. (http://www.miamistudent.net/contact)

City Beat ‐ A free Cincinnati newspaper that covers news, public issues, arts and entertainment
(http://www.citybeat.com/cincinnati/flex‐105‐contact.html).
 Local Television ‐ General information, e-mail addresses, and contact info can be found on news channel websites. Here are several from the local area: o WKRC Local 12 http://www.local12.com/content/contact_information o WLWT News 5 http://www.wlwt.com/station/5086804/detail.html
o WCPO HD 9 http://www.wcpo.com/subindex/about_us/contact_us
Funding
Below is a list of some known resources that provide funding, though academic departments and other campus groups may also be willing to offer financial support. Remember when you are asking for funding that the worst thing you can be told is no.
 Funding Sources Division of Student Affairs; ASG, Student Organizations, 374 Shriver Center,
513.529.6019
 Center for American and World Cultures, 109 MacMillan, 513.529.1943
 Community Engagement and Service, Hanna House, 513.529.2961
 Office of Diversity Affairs, 336 Shriver Center, 513.529.6504
 Parents Office, 115 Warfield Hall, 513.529.3436

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
Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, 110 Warfield Hall, 513.529.5526
Etheridge Fund & Special Events Fund

Harry T Wilks Leadership Institute, 109 Warfield Hall, 513.529.0830

Women’s Center, 127 McGuffey Hall, 513.529.1510
Student Organizations Only:

Funding Sources Division of Student Affairs; ASG, Student Organizations, 374 Shriver Center,
513.529.6019

Center for American and World Cultures, 109 MacMillan, 513.529.1943

Office Student Activities - Edward & Patricia Lannigan Student Activities Endowment

Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, 110 Warfield Hall, 513.529.5526 - Diversity Fund
Fundraising is also a valid option for funding, and can be a lot of fun. Try to be creative in your choice of events
(but bake sales are a good fallback). More unique fundraising ideas can be found online.
Transportation
For Student Groups: Renting a Vehicle from Enterprise http://www.units.muohio.edu/businessservices/node/145
Registered student organizations and sports clubs can rent vehicles at a guaranteed daily rate from Enterprise.
To make a reservation, bring a signed check requisition form to Accounts Payable. Rentals include unlimited mileage and all insurance, but not fuel. Drivers purchasing fuel must use cash/personal credit card and submit a travel reimbursement request/check requisition to Accounts Payable. Original, itemized receipts will be required.
Enterprise will allow drivers age 18 and over with a valid United States driver’s license access to their vehicles.
There is no additional charge for drivers under 25, nor is there a charge for additional drivers in each vehicle.
Student drivers of vehicles capable of carrying more than 6 passengers must be 19 years old, have had a driver’s license for at least two years and complete an on-line driver training course. Contact the
Environmental Health and Safety Office at 513-529-2829 to enroll student van drivers for the training.
Enterprise guarantees availability of sedans with reservations. Availability of minivans, SUVs and 12-passenger vans is guaranteed with seven (7) day advance reservation. 15 passenger vans may not be rented or used by student organizations.
Drivers and passengers are all responsible for ensuring the vehicles are operated in an appropriate and safe manner. As such, in the event that a driver or group fails to comply with these requirements, then the students and/or the student organization may be subject to discipline under the Student Code of Conduct.
Without limiting the potential sanctions that may be imposed for such violations, the loss of privileges for renting vehicles may be imposed.
A contract stipulating in more detail the rules and restrictions of vehicle use will be required for car rental.

34
If you are not a Student Group:
You can contact the Social Action Center or another group on campus to partner and gain access to transportation. Carpooling can be an easy way to mobilize, as long as the event is well organized and no one is left behind. Also, holding events on or around campus allows for easy accessibility.
Printing http://www.units.muohio.edu/uit/computing-printing/printing-copying/print-center
The IT Services Print Center, located in 317 Hughes Hall, is a resource for printing brochures, table tents, flyers, photos, and posters for your event or club.
To use the Print Center, all you need to do is email your document to printcenter@miamioh.edu. In the email, explain the size, type and color of paper you want your materials printed on, when you need them printed by, how many copies you will need, and how you plan to pay.
Paying: Can either pay with a university account or out of pocket.
Pick-Up: Often, an associate from the Print Center will call or email you to stop by and approve the sample before printing your entire order. Look for that email or call so that you can approve the sample efficiently.
Once the order is completed, they will also call or email you for pick-up.
13
If you or your group comes across a campus policy or action that you do not think is ethical, contacting an administrator may be your first step. If the administrator was unaware that this action was taking place, or can take a step to correct it, you may be able to save your resources for an issue not as easily solved.
A few tips:

Research the university policy on an issue. It may be the case that there is a policy violation, or the policy itself may be the problem. Having more information will help you to plan your action.

Try talking to a faculty or staff member that you know prior to setting up a meeting with an administrator. Sharing information with a university employee may help you to know who to contact and it can give you some support, should you need it.

Calling or stopping by the office to schedule an appointment is a more effective means of communicating with staff on sensitive subjects. You have asked for their time and if you are there in person, you can’t be ignored.

Don’t assume, unless otherwise shown, that the person you are meeting with is going to be hostile or against your cause. Be friendly and positive. Try not to be defensive and keep a level head throughout the meeting.
 Know who your allies are before the meeting, and if it will be helpful, bring someone with you who also supports the cause.

35
In the case that you have taken these steps and talking with the university still does not solve the problem, a student call to action directed at the administration might be in order. See section on lobbying. You might also consider filing a report of discrimination with the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity, if applicable.
There are several departments and courses at Miami that promote (or even require) involvement in activism and community service. While individual class offerings vary by semester, the following is a list of academic departments and programs that have social justice components in their coursework (depending on the individual course). If you see one you are interested in, check out what courses are offered in that department via the department website or on BannerWeb. You can also contact the department or program chair if you have specific questions or are unsure about whether a program (or class) is right for you.

Asian American Studies (AAS) - Provides a critical understanding of important issues connecting and affecting Asia and communities of Asian descent in the U.S. and in the diasporas.

Black World Studies (BWS) – The study, research, interpretation, and the dissemination of knowledge concerning African American, African, and Caribbean affairs and culture.

Disability Studies (SOC) – Emphasizes cultural constructions of disability and the intersections of disability, race, gender, sex, age, class, and other markers of diversity and difference.

Family Studies (FSW) - An interdisciplinary approach to understanding the resiliency of individuals, families, and communities.

Individualized Studies (Western Program) - An interdisciplinary program in which students design their own academic curriculum based on their own diverse interests. Emphasizes the importance of studying complex issues from multiple perspectives.

International Studies (ITS) - A broad-based, multidisciplinary major that seeks to help students to understand and analyze important issues within an international and multicultural context.

Latin American, Latino/a, and Caribbean Studies (LAT) - An interdisciplinary program that introduces students to Latin America from mutually enriching perspectives in the humanities, fine arts, social, and physical sciences.
 Comparative Religion (REL) - The study of the beliefs and practices through which groups of people have tried to make sense of their experiences in the world.
 Social Justice Studies (Part of Sociology and Gerontology SOC) - Explores connections between the ideals of justice, the realities of injustice, and practical solution sets to bridge the gap between the two.
 Social Work (FSW) - Focuses on populations at risk and work to make changes in policies that affect these people.
 Sociology (SOC) - Seeks to understand the forces that influence human behavior, social change, or social problems, such as racism, inequality, poverty, and crime.

36

Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGS) - Investigates how our lives are affected by gender, race, class, age, sexuality, religion, (dis)ability, gender identity, and nationality.
If you can’t find a class that offers what you’re looking for, service learning components can also be integrated into many classes, and many professors offer independent studies. Do some research and ask around!
University life is often conducive to activism and service, but that doesn’t mean that efforts must end when you receive your diploma. There are many ways to continue social justice work after your departure from
Miami University. The following are organizations with strong activist/social justice ties that you could look into to continue your activist work.
Short-term Internships:

Green Corps

Peace Corps

AmeriCorps

City Year

Teach for America




GLAAD Internships
Global Volunteers
Greenpeace
Planned Parenthood
Career/Job Search:
1.
Human Rights job listings: http://sites.google.com/site/ihrcjoblistinglinks/
2.
NPConnect.org
3.
Idealist.org

Miami University Women’s Center – 127 McGuffey Hall, (513) 529-1510 o http://www.units.muohio.edu/womenscenter/

Social Action Center – Hanna House Basement o Email: socialactioncenter@miamioh.edu

Office of Diversity Affairs - 336 Shriver Center, (513) 529-6504 o Email: diversityaffairs@miamioh.edu

Center for American and World Cultures - 105 MacMillan Hall, (513) 529-8309 o Email: falkeda@miamioh.edu

37

Student Activities - 356 Shriver Center, (513)-529-2266 o Email: studentactivities@miamioh.edu

Associated Student Government (ASG) o http://www.muasg.com/about-asg/contact-asg

GLBTQ Services - 205 MacMillan Hall, (513) 529-0831 o Email: glbtq@miamioh.edu
 Office of Community Engagement and Service – Hanna House (513) 529.2961 o http://www.units.muohio.edu/servicelearning/

Social Justice Studies - 375 Upham Hall 
 (513) 529-2628 
 o www.muohio.edu/sociology

Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies- 126 MacMillan Hall (513) 529-4616 o Email: detlofmm@miamioh.edu

Student Health Services - 421 S. Campus Ave, (513) 529-3000

Student Counseling Services - 195 Health Services Center, (513) 529-4634

Community Counseling and Crisis Center - 110 S. College Ave o 24 Hour Hotline: (513) 523-4146

StudentActivism.org: http://www.campusactivism.org/

Rutgers University Library on Activism: http://libguides.rutgers.edu/content.php?pid=119158&sid=1026650

DoSomething.org: http://www.dosomething.org/actnow/actionguide/become-activist

Human Rights Campaign (Campus Activism): http://www.hrc.org/resources/entry/what-iscampus-activism1
 Wellstone.org: http://www.wellstone.org

38

Love Your Job Now (Social Justice jobs): http://lyjnow.wordpress.com/tag/social-justicejobs/

Community Took Box: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1202.aspx

Baumgartner, J. and Richards, A: Grassroots: A Field Guide for Feminist Activism (Straus and
Giroux, 2005)
The Women's Center is a unit within the Division of Student Affairs, focusing its efforts on supporting and empowering women and engaging the campus in understanding women's and gender issues. It features a community room, a computer lab, and the Susanne H. Summers Resource Collection.
Located on the first floor of McGuffey Hall in room 127, the Center is open during the academic year on Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and by special arrangement. Summer hours are 7:30 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. The Center houses the offices of Jane Goettsch, Women’s Center Director, and Rhonda Jackson,
Administrative Assistant. For more information, visit www.units.muohio.edu/womenscenter , or call
(513)529-1510.
The Social Action Center seeks to provide students with resources, programs, and ideas that focus on social change; endeavoring to build community between engaged students and student organizations in a spirit of collaboration for effective action and visibility. The SAC has participated in forums to encourage collaboration among student groups, hosted Safe Zone Trainings with GLBTQ Services, held
Weekend Experiences in Hamilton and Over the Rhine with the Urban Teacher Cohort, held an activist training to teach students skills in grassroots organizing, and much more. For more information, please visit www.socialactioncenter.com
.
1.
Abrams, Stephanie. “A History of Feminist Activism at Miami University, Oxford Campus.”
American Studies, 1993. Web. <http://www.lib.muohio.edu/epub/abrams/abrams5.html>
2.
White, Antonio J. “I Am Miami: Black Student Activism at Miami University.” Morgan State
University, 2010. Web. <http://search.proquest.com/docview/852623275>
3.
Lancaster, Rebecca A. “Looking at Activism through the Women of Freedom Summer”.
Oxford, OH, 2010. Print.
4.
GLEAM, “Timeline Towards Equality.” 2012. Web.
<http://www.orgs.muohio.edu/gleam/timeline/index.html>
5.
"Student Organizations Handbook Miami University 2011-2012." Office of Student
Activities. Web. <http://www.units.muohio.edu/saf/sac/pdf/student-org-handbook-2011-
2012.pdf>.
6.
Activist Training. Information provided through Social Action Center. Social Action Center,
Miami University, Oxford, OH.
7.
Simmons, Ian. On One-to-Ones. Print.

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8.
"Using Our Space | Women's Center." Www.units.muohio.edu. Miami University
Women's Center. Web. 09 Dec. 2011.
<http://www.units.muohio.edu/womenscenter/resources-and-services/using-our-space>.
9.
"The 2010-2011 Student Activist Guide." The Student Activist Guide. The University of
Cincinnati Women’s Center, 2010. Web. <http://www.uc.edu/ucwc/activism.html>.
10.
Activist Training. Information provided through Social Action Center. Social Action Center,
Miami University, Oxford, OH.
11.
"Recognizing Allies." Community Toolbox - Bringing Solutions to Light. Work Group for
Community Health and Development, University of Kansas. Web. 09 Dec. 2011.
<http://ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/sub_section_main_1202.aspx>.
12.
Activist Training. Information provided through Social Action Center. Social Action Center,
Miami University, Oxford, OH.
13.
“Student Organizations Handbook Miami University 2011-2012." Office of Student
Activities. Web. <http://www.units.muohio.edu/saf/sac/pdf/student-org-handbook-2011-
2012.pdf>.