This document provides information and strategies for advocacy. It discusses what advocacy is, examples of advocacy activities, and strategies for influencing different audiences like decision makers, community members, and media. It outlines approaches for directly engaging with elected officials, educating the community, and using media. The document also presents scenarios for Illinois legislation around healthcare taxes, Medicaid waivers, and pharmacy practice that could impact African Americans. It prompts discussions on how these laws may positively or negatively impact communities and which groups would be most affected. Finally, it offers questions to help develop advocacy strategies and goals.

1. Advocacy 101:
Speaking Truth
to Power
ILAACP Quarterly Meeting
March 27, 2014
Terri A. Johnson, C-Change Consulting – Facilitator

2. All my life I’ve been sick and tired. Now I’m sick
and tired of being sick and tired.
Fannie Lou Hamer, 1964

3. What is Advocacy?

4. Using your voice, power
and your resources to
make change!

5. Examples
• Organizing: Build power at the base
• Sponsor public events (rallies, forums, protests, marches)
• Educating Legislators
• Educating the Public
• Research the issues
• Create resources that tell the story of your community
• Nonpartisan Voter Education, Registration & Mobilization
• Training Opportunities
• Work with regulating agencies
• Litigation
• Lobbying

6. Advocacy Strategies
Decision Makers
• Express support
of/opposition to
issues directly
with elected
officials and
other leaders
Community
(Person to Person)
• Educate and
recruit people to
join your effort
Media
• Use media
outlets (print, tv,
radio & social
media) to build
awareness and
spark movement

7. Decision Maker• Vote
• Donate to campaigns and causes that matter to them
• Study your legislators to understand their priorities
• Offer assistance on their priorities
• Attend their events
• Congratulate them on something they accomplished
• Schedule opportunities (candidate forums, tours, briefings,
speaking engagements) where they come to you
• Meet with legislators and staff people
• Testify at hearings
• Call or write them
• Email not necessarily effective. Recent surveys show that
some legislators treat email the same as snail mail,
others don’t. Send hard copy to follow up emails.

8. Community/Person to Person
• Educate people about
your issues
• Forums, newsletters,
trainings, fact
sheets, infographics,
Whitepapers
• Move them to act with
you or as individuals
• Petitions, Rallies,
Marches, Vigils,
Boycotts, Letter
Writing Campaigns,
Action Alerts

9. Media
• Press Conferences
• Meetings with Editorial Boards
• Letters to Editor
• Critiques
• Opinion Pieces (Op-eds)
• Public Service Announcements
• Ad Campaigns
• Social Media

10. Social Media Options
Artwork done by rafiqelmansy
• Follow, friend and/or connect
to the decision makers you
want to influence
• Find or start groups on
Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and
Google+ that are working on
your issues or similar ones
• Like or Comment on FB posts
• Create Twitter hashtag and
respond to tweets
• Share post on FB and Retweet
the things that support your
effort
• Use Pinterest as a creative way
to use images to send messages
• Post comments on blogs
• Use YouTube & Vimeo to post
video clips

11. Tell Your Story
• Know the facts/Bust
some myths
• Use the facts, but….
• Use your passion
• Clear and concise
messages
Artwork by Leroy Campbell

12. The Assignment

13. Scenario Descriptions
• Scenario 1: SSB Tax that is part of the HEAL Act (SB 3524 &
HB5690)
• Scenario 2: Medicaid Waiver 1115/The Path to
Transformation
• Scenario 3: SB1934 – Amendment to Pharmacy Practice Act
re: biosimilars

14. Scenario Updates
• SB3524 at Public Health Committee; Discussion Postponed
(3/26/14)
• HB 5690 Referred to Sales and Other Taxes Subcommittee
(2/27/14)
• Nothing posted yet on Medicaid Waiver 1115
• BIO SIM bill in Indiana signed by Gov. Pence

15. Break into pairs and talk about this
question:
What is your first reaction to this
information?

16. Group Discussion
• How will this legislation/policy (if implemented) affect the
African American community? Please discuss both positive
& negative impacts.
• What groups within the African American community will
be most impacted by the legislation? (youth, elders,
business people, etc.)
• Are there potential unintended consequences for this
legislation?

17. Group Discussion cont.
• Does the community know enough about this issue? What
info do they need?
• Is there a conversation going on in any of your circles
(family, friends, place of worship, work, etc) about this
issue? What is the nature of this conversation?

19. Strategy Questions
• What do we want? (goals)
• Who can give it to us? (audience)
• What do they need to hear? (messages)
• Who do they need to hear it from? (messengers)
• How do we get them to hear it? (delivery)
• What have we got? Who do we know? (resources
and strengths)
• What do we need? (challenges and gaps)
• What do we do first? (let’s get started!)
• How will we know that it is working or not?
(evaluation)

20. TIME CHECK

21. Report Back

22. Our lives begin to end the
day we become silent
about things that matter.
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

23. Thank you!
Terri A. Johnson, C-Change Consulting
cchangeagent@gmail.com