I've Got the Light of Freedom: Slow and Respectful Work

I really want to share some gems that I picked from a reading we had for our Media Organizing Track.  I'm going to pull out some excerpts from the Charles M. Payne's  

I've Got the light of Freedom:

 Chapter Eight: Slow and Respectful Work

Organizers and Organizing

Some of it will make sense if you've read that chapter, and some if it won't, but I'm going to briefly elaborate on the excerpts I chose for my own mental turned into to blogging notes.(Which will sort of answer the the 3 questions of : (indirectly at least)

• How does trust form?  
• What are the barriers to forming authentic relationships?
• How can you build relationships through media-making?   

Loved This. Illustrated it so well. Thank God I can Juggle. Literally. 

Be approachable, and persuasively assertive.

You ain't the Messiah. Gotta be Humble.

Sincerity. One thing you can not hide. Either you have it or you don't. I remember a friend of my sister who was giving me some advice on elevator pitches, and he told me that people may  not remember what you said, but one thing they will remember is your passion.

Being Culturally Competent. This concept is stressed over and over in the Social Work program. In addition to the fact that you really have to meet people where they are and not where you think they need to be. 

 We refer to this in the program as one on ones. Basically, you have take people out to lunch.

This is my favorite part. This is Transformative Social Justice as I understand it. Slow work that takes time, a concept which at times is hard to grasp for some people, especially when we live in a society where instant gratification is the norm.