Empowering You May 2018 Newsetter

Empowering
you
OUR MISSION
Advocating for the
wellbeing of all
Missourians through
civic leadership,
education, &
research.
MAY 2018 NEWSLETTER

MAY 2018
NEWSLETTER
Policy Priorities
How Are Our New Programs and
Services Working for You?
By Jeanette Mott Oxford, p 3,9
Student Advocacy Day, p 5
How an Idea Becomes a Law: Part II
By Christine Woody, p 8-9
Chapter Highlights
St. Louis Annual Dinner—Award
Winners p 4
Kansas City Friday Forums, p 7
S E C T I O N S
10 Calendar
10 Staff Contacts

MAY 2018 NEWSLETTER
How Are Our New Programs and
Services Working for You?
By Jeanette Mott Oxford, Executive Director
At our annual Board-staff retreat in
summer of 2017, our Board of
Directors decided to push pause on
hiring a new Kansas City organizer
and to spend six months evaluating
progress and selecting where to go
next. It was apparent that staff put
many hours into producing six task
force meetings, some face-to-face
and some by telephone, and then
follow up actions connected to task
force priorities. However, attendance
was low at many task force
gatherings, and victories for the task
forces were few and far between. We
agreed that clearly there must be a
better way to structure
ourselves to gain ground for
social justice.
An Ad Hoc Envisioning
Committee met monthly
following that June retreat, and
our Governance Committee
also tackled some changes to
Board composition that were
voted on in our October annual
meeting. The Board of
Directors shrunk from nearly 30
to a maximum of 15, with a new
focus on governance, evaluation,
and fundraising instead of
programming. So far the reviews of
the new Board structure are positive!
The Envisioning Committee gave
their final report to the Board of
Directors in December, 2017, and we
got to work implementing their
suggestions. A new emphasis for
staff is outreach to build numbers
needed to be effective, so we are
tabling at many public events. We
also updated our database and email
communication program to allow
better management of contact
information. A capacity building grant
from REACH Healthcare Foundation
assisted with this as well as a
fundraising consultant for the Board
and staff. Goals have been set for new
grassroots fundraising and are
beginning to be implemented.
The six task forces were transformed
into issue work teams who receive
updates around state and federal policy
in one unified briefing call for
advocates, our “Under the Dome and
Across the State” meeting.
Documents for past and future briefings
can be found at http://
empowermissouri.org/briefings/.
During Legislative Session the “Under
the Dome and Across the State”
briefings take place every two weeks
because of the need for quick response
to actions in our General Assembly.
The final briefing for the 2018
Legislative Session is set for 4:30-
6:00p.m. on May 10 with Amy Blouin
of the Missouri Budget Project as guest
expert.
From June through December, one
briefing call per month should suffice,
but an emergency call may be declared
in especially trying circumstances. The
call will be on the fourth Thursday of
each month, 4:30-6 p.m. except in
November when the date will
conflict with Thanksgiving. Please
mark your calendars now for June
28, July 26, August 23, September
27, October 25, November 29, and
December 27. We will base our
schedule for 2019 on evaluation of
2018.
Even though not all task forces
have retained the “task force” name,
our issue based work continues.
Here are highlights of current efforts
in each issue area:
Affordable Housing and
Homelessness – Empower
Missouri played a key role in
winning a St. Louis City
ordinance against illegal
lockouts by landlords in fall
2017. Recently advocates in this
issue area have been meeting
monthly to plan Our Homes, Our
Voices, the 2018 week of
housing action in collaboration
with our national partner, the
National Low Income Housing
Coalition. To see resources for
putting on an event, to list your
event, and to learn more, go to:
https://www.ourhomesourvoices.org/
Criminal Justice – Last summer,
task force members held a “get
acquainted” conversation with Anne
L. Precythe, the latest Director of
the MO Department of Corrections.
We had an advocacy day in support
of Raise the Age, and task force
members have made repeated
contacts with lawmakers about
mandatory minimums, the death
Cont’d on p 9
EMPOWERING YOU | 03

MAY 2018 NEWSLETTER
St. Louis Annual Awards Dinner
Tony Messenger
Tony Messenger is our Media
Award winner and keynote
speaker for the evening. As
metro columnist for the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch he has been a bold
voice for equity and an important
storyteller for the disenfranchised.
Terry Jones
The Mickey Rosen Community
Advocate Award goes to
E. Terrence (Terry) Jones. He is
Professor Emeritus of Political
Science and Public Policy Administration
and Dean Emeritus of
Arts and Sciences at the University
of Missouri-St. Louis. He joined
the UMSL faculty in 1969.
The Organization Award goes
to ArchCity Defenders (ACD).
ACD is a 501(c)3 non-profit civil
rights law firm providing holistic
legal advocacy and combating the
criminalization of poverty and
state violence against poor people
and people of color. ACD uses
direct services, impact litigation,
and policy and media advocacy
as its primary tools to promote
justice, protect civil and human
rights, and bring about systemic
change on behalf of the
poor and communities of color
directly impacted by the abuses of
the legal system.
Rep. Cora Faith Walker (D-74) is
this years Legislator Award recipient.
In only
her second
session in
Jefferson
City, she has
used her experience
as
at attorney in
health law and public policy in
service of the Health & Mental
Health Policy Committee and
Children & Families Committee.
Patty Berger
Rep. Cora Faith Walker
The Spirit
of Advocacy
Award
goes to
Patty
Berger.
A Deputy
Public
Administrator
by
day and
Community
Education Coordinator for
Let’s Start, Inc. in her free time
she has helped countless individuals
and families with her story as
a formerly incarcerated woman.
EMPOWERING YOU | 04

MAY 2018 NEWSLETTER
Rep. Schroer &
Rep. McCann
Beatty | Mizzou |
We’re on Snapchat
| Intern Sarah
Swearer at Checkin
| Lincoln U.
EMPOWERING YOU | 05

MAY 2018 NEWSLETTER
Empower Missouri
was started in
1901. What were
you doing that
year?
It’s classified….
Sarah Owsley Townsend is a
community organizer with a
passion for addressing
inequity. Sarah believes in the
power of individuals to stand
against systems of oppression.
She’s spent her last year working
on housing and economic issues
with MORE2 and can’t wait to
continue the work with Empower
Missouri. Sarah is a mother of four
and a Kansas City native; she has
a BSW from Avila University and a
MSW from University of Kansas.
Q & A
What excites you about starting
work with Empower Missouri?
I’m excited to be part of an
organization with such a rich
history doing such important
work. I can’t wait to help shape its
future and make connections
across the state.
What’s your preferred method
of communication: in-person,
call, text, email, Facebook
messenger, Snapchat, rap
battle, or carrier pigeon?
I find a good dance off to be my
most effective communication
method. In lieu of that email is
usually good for non emergent
communication, followed by calls
or texts for more urgent needs. In
person is always the best way to
make a connection, which is our most
important tool in this work.
What does equity mean to you and
what would an equitable Missouri
look like?
The Urban Dictionary talks about
equity as a correction to the blatant bs
and unfairness in society. To me,
equity requires an acknowledgement
of how we got here (systematic
disenfranchisement of certain
populations to benefit those with
power) and an honest attempt to
correct those injustices. An equitable
Missouri would embrace policy
changes to ensure everyone has an
actual opportunity to prosper and no
one benefits while denying others
basic human rights.
Which one of your four children is
your favorite, and why?
Whichever one will still snuggle with
me on the couch. Thankfully that is
still all of them.
What is your favorite way to spend
a day-off?
In my father’s backyard with my
family.
You’re providing
food for a meeting
for a dozen local
activists, do you
order from a) a
national sandwich
chain that delivers,
b) a locally owned
pizza restaurant known for
quirky combinations, or c) I
plug-in the slow cooker and
dish up a homemade soup/
chili?
Whenever I spend money, I
prioritize minority owned
businesses, then locally owned
businesses, then everyone
else. But if you’re asking if I
make a mean meatloaf- I do.
This work is more endurance
than sprint; it can require
years, decades, lifetimes of
dedication. Where do you find
motivation/inspiration, how do
you recharge, what keeps you
going on the hard days?
As a parent, I often have to have
difficult conversations with my
children. I frequently begin
those conversations with, “This
is a ridiculous, broken, messed
up thing in our society, but…” I
want them to have fewer of
those conversations with my
grandchildren. I also talk to them
about the wins. I make sure they
know that generations of people
stand behind them while they
fight the inequities they
encounter, which is always a
good reminder that I am not
alone either.
EMPOWERING YOU | 06

MAY 2018 NEWSLETTER
TIF for Tat
Featuring:
WHEN
Friday, May 4, 2018
11:30 AM Lunch Buffet
12:00 PM Program
WHERE
Westport Fleamarket Bar & Grill
817 Westport Road, Kansas City, MO
Empower Missouri has been working hard over the past weeks to protect SNAP
(Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients from punitive and burdensome
requirements that put more children at risk of going hungry. You may have read about this work in
JMO’s Weekly Perspective, or an email to our former Hunger Task Force members, or heard the
details discussed in one of our Bi-Weekly Briefing Calls. You are a HUGE part of that work. Already
over 100 of your organizations have signed-on to our letter, and even more have individually
contacted your state representative and senator to let them each know how important SNAP is for
Missourians. If you’ve missed these opportunities, we invite you now. If you don’t have the authority
to sign on behalf of your organization, you can copy the link to our website and forward it to the
ones who have that authority. You can also share the link for individuals with your clients/coworkers/members.
EMPOWERING YOU | 07

MAY 2018 NEWSLETTER
How an idea becomes a law:
Part Ii
By Christine Woody, St. Louis Coordinator & Lead Criminal Justice Staff
17 year olds can’t vote, buy
alcohol or cigarettes, go into a
casino or serve in the military, but
in Missouri all 17 year olds are
treated as adults in the eyes of
the criminal justice system.
Missouri is only 1 of 5 states that
stills follows this law, and
Empower Missouri is working to
change it!
Work on this campaign started
many years ago, but this year it
has been brought to a new level,
and it is this new level of
coordination and action that has
proven successful.
Since December, every Friday
from 11-11:30 a group of
dedicated individuals and
organizations have joined a call
to discuss how we are going to
Raise the Age in Missouri. It is
this call and this group of people
that have been the foundation for
the success we have had this
legislative session. This weekly
call is vital to the coordinated,
action-oriented, and robust
outreach associated with the
successful work to Raise the Age
in Missouri in
2018.
This year, a
national group,
the Campaign
for Youth
Justice, took
interest in this
issue in Missouri and dedicated
themselves to working with
advocates in Missouri to make sure
it gets passed. Having a dedicated
staff person from the Campaign for
Youth Justice has been vital to
keeping the coalition going and
organized! It has also been vital in
giving the organizations and
individuals on the ground in
Missouri more time to do the actual
advocacy and outreach work
necessary for success ( instead of
having to spend so much time
doing the nitty gritty organizational
stuff- like taking notes, sending out
call invites, etc.).
That coalition and its national
support is just one of many keys
that have helped us move this bill
forward. Getting a bill passed
through the legislative process
takes a lot of time, energy and
behind the scenes work. This
coalition has been instrumental to
doing many of those vital things:
First, we were able to find a
passionate legislator from the
majority party in each chamber to
sponsor our bill. Senator Wayne
Wallingford, our senate sponsor,
has filed this bill for a few years
because of a constituent who
came to him about this issue
when her son was arrested at
17. Representative Nick Schroer
is newer to the cause, but when
he came into office and heard
about this law, as an attorney,
he knew he wanted to work to
change it. They have both done
a lot of work on their bills outside
of just filing it. They have both
presented their bill with great
knowledge of the issue, they
have met with key leadership to
move their bills along, and they
have worked on possible
funding solutions to make
implementation a reality.
Secondly, our advocate coalition
initiated and continued dialogue
with the Missouri Juvenile
Justice Association. They agree
with the policy 100%, but they
have been concerned that
inadequate funding could mean
lack of staffing and quality in
programs for juveniles, an
outcome other advocates also
want to avoid. Groups that
represent county governments
also insisted that Raise the Age
not be implemented as an
"unfunded mandate," shifting
costs to their strapped county
budgets. Meetings and
Cont’d on p 9
EMPOWERING YOU | 08

MAY 2018 NEWSLETTER
Cont’d from p 8
compromises between all the
stakeholders have continued
throughout the session, always in
a respectful and cordial way.
Thirdly, the coalition was able to
secure a professor from a
Missouri state university to do his
own research and present a cost
benefits analysis to the legislature
on this issue. Having this
information from our own state is
helpful for advocacy efforts in
Missouri. It seems the Missouri
Legislature always trusts an
expert from our own state much
more than information taken from
other states. MSU professor Dr.
David M. Mitchell, wrote and
presented this article that our
coalition has used during our
advocacy efforts this year.
Finally, the coalition has been
very successful in getting articles
and stories on this issue placed in
newspapers throughout the state.
Such media keeps the issue in
the forefront of legislators' minds.
Missouri is very close to being the
46 th state to Raise the Age! We
have not passed the finish line
yet, but this year we are closer
than ever! Click to learn more
about what you can do to help
Raise The Age.
Cont’d from p 3
penalty, geriatric parole, and the
justice reinvestment task force
recommendations that have been
filed as bills.
Economic Justice – Advocates on
this task force have been collecting
signatures on the Raise Up
Missouri petition to raise the
minimum wage and also plan to
educate the public on why Right to
Work should be overturned by
citizen referendum. They also have
made calls to legislators about
dangerous tax reform proposals
moving through the General
Assembly and in support of a state
Earned Income Tax Credit.
Health & Mental Health – Our
work for HIV Policy Modernization
is our current health priority, and we
were pleased to lead the MO HIV
Justice Coalition Advocacy Day in
March where about half of those
attending were People Living with
HIV whose leadership we value so
much! Our briefing calls feature
several other health issues, often
worked on in coalition with Missouri
Health Care for All, NAMI, and/or
Paraquad.
Human Rights – Our major campaign
is eliminating police profiling, and Don
Love continues to lead efforts to
improve the utility of the annual Vehicle
Stops Report from the Attorney
General as a central tool. Email Don at
dmaclove1@gmail.com to help.
Hunger – More than 100 organizations
have signed on to our letter opposing
so-called “work requirement” bills that
might cut tens of thousands off of the
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) in Missouri. These
advocates will be focusing on a strong
Farm Bill in coming months.
We continue to need your support in
chapters too. Reach out to the field
organizer in your part of the state to
connect – see the last page of this
newsletter. Chapters tackle local
issues, raise funds for our statewide
priorities (like our recent successful
Trivia Night in St. Louis), and educate
on state and federal issues.
If you want to change the world for the
better, there is strength in numbers.
We have a volunteer-shaped spot, just
waiting for you! Learn more at
info@EmpowerMissouri.org.
EMPOWERING YOU | 09

MAY 2018 NEWSLETTER
CALENDAR
May 2 - Give STL Day, All Day Event, Donate Online
May 4 - KC Chapter Forum: TIF for Tat, Westport Flea Market Bar & Grill, 11:30AM-1:00PM
May 4 - Our Homes, Our Voices Call-in Day, All Day Event, Click for more local events
May 8 - Farm Bill Call-in Day, All Business Hours Event
May 10 - Bi-Weekly Briefing Call , Primary Conference Line, 4:30-6:00PM
May 11 - SEMO Forum: Affordable Housing & Homelessness Community Conversation, Poplar Bluff
Municipal Library, 10:30 AM—12:30 PM
May 11 - Monthly MO HIV Justice Coalition Meeting, 1:00 PM followed by Conference Call on
Secondary Conference Line, 1:00-2:20 PM
May 24 - Hunger in Warren County and the Farm Bill, Co-sponsored by Agape Food Pantry, Oliver's
Restaurant - Warrenton, MO 12:30-2:00PM
Buy Your Tickets Now! STL Chapter Awards Dinner May 24, Il Monastero, 5:30 PM
May 25 - HIV Criminalization Training (Springfield/SWMO), AIDS Project of the Ozarks, 1:00-3:30PM
Conference Call Line (515) 603-3103; 167856
Advocating for justice | Empowering Change
Headquarters’ Address
308 E. High St., Suite 100
Jefferson City, MO 65101
(573) 634-2901
(888) 634-2901
@EmpowerMissouri
www.EmpowerMissouri.org
Executive Director, Jeanette Mott Oxford
Jeanette@empowermissouri.org
Assistant Director, AJ Bockelman
AJ@empowermissouri.org
St. Louis, Christine Woody
Christine@empowermissouri.org
Southeast MO, Tracy Morrow
Tracy@empowermissouri.org
Springfield, Ashley Quinn
Ashley@empowermissouri.org
Kansas City, Sarah Owsley Townsend
SarahOT@empowermissouri.org
EMPOWERING YOU | 10