The Organizing Apprenticeship Project (OAP) at www.oaproject.org takes an innovative approach to bridging the racial divide in Minnesota through organizer training and leadership efforts. The project aims at influencing lawmakers through fact-based research. In 2006, the OAP came up with the idea of the Minnesota Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity. Just like students, legislators received grades and points for their efforts or lack of efforts to ensure racial justice. The report card proved to be a great way to establish connections with legislators and encourage them to promote justice and equality. It also highlighted a number of missed opportunities that need to be addressed.
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| Key Terms |
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| Legislative Report Card on Racial Equity |
| Racial Justice |
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Click here to take a Survey
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| Before Viewing |
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What do you know about the legislative process in Minnesota? How can a regular Minnesotan influence lawmakers? What are legislators already doing to help address these issues?
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| After Viewing |
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- What do you think the Organizing Apprenticeship Project is trying to achieve? How is its approach innovative?
- Jermaine Toney says the legislators were moved and cried when they heard of the results of the report card and wanted to talk to the project staff. How do you explain their reaction?
- One of the legislators who received a good grade on the report card did not have a lot of people of color in his district. Why do you think it was important for him to move these issues forward anyway?
- When Jermaine says that “racial justice is part of our values,” to what values do you think he is referring?
- How does lack of racial justice impact all Minnesotans?
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| Suggested Activities and Resources: |
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- Human Rights Squares
This activity [1] aims at revealing what participants already know about human rights and stimulating discussion about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and different categories of rights. It focuses on equality and racial justice as one of the fundamental human rights principles.
- Introduce the activity and distribute the Human Rights Squares Handout. Explain that participants should go around the room and get an answer in each box from a different person. Whoever completes all squares first should shout out "Bingo!" Everyone should then return to his or her seats for debriefing and discussion.
- Debriefing and discussion:
Before debriefing, a facilitator may want to review the following resources, and, if necessary make copies for the group:
- What are Human Rights? (From Human Rights Here and Now, http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/edumat/hreduseries/hereandnow/Part-1/whatare.htm)
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Full text: http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/b1udhr.htm
Poster: http://www.hrusa.org/thisismyhome/resources/UDHR_Poster.pdf
- Human Rights Principles Poster:
http://www.hrusa.org/thisismyhome/resources/HR%20principles%20RGB%0(framework%20p1).pdf
- Evolution on Human Rights, including categories and generations:
http://www.eycb.coe.int/Compass/en/chapter_4/4_2.html
- Human Rights at Your Fingertips:
http://www.un.org/rights/50/game.htm
Discussion Questions:
- Which questions were the hardest to answer? Why?
- What did you already know about human rights and what was new?
- How did you know about human rights violations? Discuss local examples of human rights violations and discrimination.
- What are the most important human rights principles?
- Why do we need racial justice and equality to promote human rights for all?
- Resources
Participants can also review the Minnesota Legislative Report Card on Racial Equality that offers statistics and insight into legislative efforts pertaining to people of color in Minnesota. www.oaproject.org/files/MN_Racial_Equity_Report_Card_05-06.pdf
Other useful sites:
Twin Cities Compass www.tccompass.org
Mind the Gap Report www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/reports/2005/10cities_sohmer/20051027_mindthegap.pdf
[1] Originally adapted from David Shiman, Teaching Human Rights, (Denver: Center for Teaching International Relations Publication, University of Denver, 1993) 2-3
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