When Money Makes Change
Media Literacy
To be able to change the game, we need to understand how it’s currently being played. But how do we do that in a world of fake news, AI images, bots, and disinformation? Check out these quick tips for getting started with media literacy.
Imposter Syndrome
Speaking up can be hard , daunting, intimidating even. People don’t like to feel uncomfortable, and will question your integrity & legitimacy. When we believe them, it’s called impostor syndrome.
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✋ Who doesn’t like filling out paperwork?
✋ Who gets literal anxiety about filling out paperwork?
Here are a few articles, posts, and rants about how paperwork slows down and stresses out our lives
📄 The history of paperwork
Paperwork used to be internal documents businesses filled out for you 🤯 They’d use it to build a relationship with a client (can you imagine??) while streamlining internal processes
“Earlier public administrations also used forms and questionnaires, but these were filled by officers instead of by citizens, and thus by members of the same organization.” - [Harms], summarizing [Becker] The Unofficial History of Forms
*Somewhere* along the way, it became the customer’s responsibility to fill out these forms, but they stayed just as complicated and confusing.
“In contrast, 20th century governments delegated the increasing administrative workload that resulted from large social welfare programs to citizens – who then had to fill out forms on their own.” - [Harms], summarizing [Becker] The Unofficial History of Forms
Then somewhere *further* along the way, paperwork became a barrier to access
“In consequence, forms took over the role of officers as mediating interfaces between citizens and public administration.” - [Harms], summarizing [Becker] The Unofficial History of Forms
Advocacy makes change: Free Breakfast
Advocacy makes change: Child Labor Laws
Advocacy makes change: Anthony Ray Hinton
Reflections, questions, & writing suggestions
Warn us about one scam that is affecting your life, or people in your life? Is the scam a product or service, an advertisement, or something else?
When have you felt like an impostor? How did you get over it? Did you?
Check out one of these state literacy tests (here) that were given to Black voters. Were they trying to learn something, let people in, or keep them out?
Is homework just a way to train us to be used to paperwork? Why or why not?
Write a tribute song to an advocate who has made a difference. Choose from the videos above, your own favorites, or talk about yourself in the future.