Sync Events

Communities in seven states organized local events to bring people together, watch the Forum, and launch collective efforts to redirect US politics towards unity and hope. The "sync events" ranged from 10 people gathered to watch the Forum in a living room to hundreds of people at public meetings.

Los Angeles, California: The California Partnership, a special project of the CCC, and the Los Angeles Community Action Network hosted a sync event in a storefront community center downtown. Over 100 people showed up to watch the Heartland Presidential Forum via Webcast provided by TV One, register to vote, and create a video, "If I were a Community Values President." Watch it here>>

A diverse audience from neigboring communities attended. They were young, they were old, and they were excited. A lively discussion followed during which the communities began to congeal and participants began to identify the struggle of new immigrants in the United States today with the struggle for civil rights that African Americans fought fifty years ago. For more information contact Nancy Berlin.

Charlotte, North Carolina: An afternoon press conference "Call to Action" was held prior to the Heartland Presidential Forum viewing party at the Holiday Inn on West Woodlawn Road. Speakers Dr. Robbie Akhare (a sociology professor at Central Piedmont College), Tyisha Wilson (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc), Tracy Green (National Rules Funders Collaborative), Michael Lawson, (State President of the North Carolina Democratic Party African American Caucus) urged community leaders to "get trained and get connected" to the Campaign for Community Values through CCC's South East Region seek to focus on the elimination of  the Criminalization of Poor People and People of Color. This event sought to link the African American and Latino Organizations currently working in the South with Jena Six protestors and Immigrant Rights organizations who staged massive demonstrations in 2006-07.

National performer, Troy Scarborough, sang the National Anthem and Lift Every Voice and Sing to at least 100 people gathered to watch the Heartland Presidential Forum. Event partner, Radio One spread the word across North Carolina. Twelve diverse community organizations and colleges including Central Piedmont Community College, Johnson C. Smith, and the University of North Carolina,and Queens University  were represented and they agreed to continue working together throughout the year. The day was ended by a town hall style discussion about Community Values and a African Drumming presentation by members of Otesh Creative Arts Ensemble.  A follow up training is set for January 26, 2008 in Charlotte. Organizers and leaders will hone their skills to strengthen their organizations and boost their ability to build and promote the community values platform. See Southern Team Organizer, Dwayne Patterson ( dpatterson@communitychange.org) for details.

Columbia, South Carolina: Nearly forty people from 6 organizations gathered at the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce in Columbia, South Carolina to view the Heartland Presidential Forum. Representatives from the Obama and Edwards campaigns attended and engaged in discussion with the audience. In the coming month, participant organizations will work to spread the spirit of community values leading up to the January 26th primaries in South Carolina and are planning a follow-up training/meeting  in February to shape their Campaign Strategy for the coming year.

Nasheville, Tennessee: Sixty-five folks gathered in the "family room" of The Village Church to watch the Heartland Presidential Forum on December 1, 2007. The event opened with a discussion on the “Values of Community” and a pre-show viewing on the Movement Vision Lab website. The immigration issue struck a particular chord in the largely African-American audience. Following the Forum a conversation on immigration ensued during which many participants shared their personal stories of immigration. Stories ranged from an African woman to a Swedish woman married to a black American wading through lengthy and convoluted naturalization process and illustrated not only the diversity of immigration in America, but commonality in experience.

Participants represented organizations such as the Members of the 'Justice Committee" of the The Village Church, Tennessee Alliance for Progress, Beyond Jena Organization, Fisk University Students (Risso Organization), TN State University students (their Jena Six Group) and the greater Nashville community. They will meet in the coming months to develop ideas around voter work in 2008, pushing immigration as a moral and social issue in their communities and further engagement with the Campaign for Community Values.