First Latino Political Campaign Academy a Grand Success

Transcription

1 First a Grand Success Academy Graduates and Leaders 2003 By Susan L. Costa Co-convener, Vice President for Sector Development, Latino Advocacy Coalition I n the more than fifty years of Rochester Hispanic community civic engagement, the Latino Advocacy Coalition s Political Campaign Academy is certainly one of its most historic and innovative projects. It engaged Latinos of all political parties who are interested in exploring elected or appointed office, and those who want to manage and participate in the political campaigns of candidates for public office. To our knowledge, such a multi-partisan approach had never been undertaken in Monroe County history. The participants were as diverse as the Hispanic community. More than half (56%) live in the suburban communities of Greece, Henrietta, Chili, Penfield, Pittsford, East Rochester, Gates, Ogden, Perinton and Webster. The other 44 % live in the City of Rochester. Forty percent (40%) were born in Rochester, 14% in Puerto Rico, in New York City, in the Dominican Republic, and 3% each in Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, New Jersey and Taiwan. New Friends and Networks Crossed City/Suburban Lines 1

2 They are a highly educated group, with 83% having attained college degrees or higher: Participant Education Level % 57% 50% 40% 30% 26% 20% 10% 3% 14% 3% 3% 0% High School Associate's Degree Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree PhD MD Total Graduate Degrees Academy graduates also were equally dispersed among types of employment, with close to half working in the for-profit and almost half in the non-profit sector. Five people own their own businesses: Participant Employment 2003 Do Not Work Outside Home Government 3% Non-Profit 43% For Profit/Own Business 43% Beginning April 28 th, the Campaign Academy s five dynamic sessions covered the personal, legal and political issues of running for public office presented by current and past elected officials, knowledgeable campaign workers and political party leaders. There were sessions on campaign planning, fundraising, voter contact, school boards, town government, election regulations, dealing with the media, developing a campaign message, and the ethics of leadership and governing, among others. RIT s Dr. Richard Morales, the very first presenter, launched the Academy by urging participants to rise above geographic, nationality and partisan political lines and embrace their commonalities. That same evening, past and current Latino elected officials and candidates talked about why people run for office. 2

3 Richard Morales, Ph.D. Inaugurates Academy Hon. Emilio Serrano, Gladys Santiago, David Schantz, José Cruz, & candidate Angel Sackett Discuss Experiences There was broad age group representation in the Academy, with graduates spanning 18 to 63 years old. Three are currently undergraduate students and a number of people are working and seeking higher degrees: Participant Age Groups % 43% 40% 35% 29% 30% 25% 20% 15% 17% 10% 5% 0% < >55 Years of Age Participants took their work seriously. Built into the curriculum were opportunities to work together in learning communities of six to eight members. These groups met during and between sessions to discuss what they were learning and develop questions for the next session s presenters. Elections Commissioner Peter Quinn Gives Answers Participants Work on Issues During Session 3

4 The Campaign Academy is a bold, new strategy to increase citizen involvement and build on Latino community assets and connect them to the political systems in a manner never before available. These assets include: Intellectual Capital: Latinos have contributed and continue to contribute their talents in every sector in this community through their civic and work lives. The Campaign Academy facilitates the dissemination of Latino knowledge and experience. Social Capital: The more social capital (trust & relationships) Latinos have with and between one another, and non-latinos, the more effective we all become at collaboration, which leads to innovation and community problem solving. Financial Capital: Latinos continue to represent a significant portion of the region s economic growth and potential. They pay taxes, own homes, purchase automobiles and purchase millions of dollars in goods and services each year. Their demographics and relative youth compared to the non-latino population make them primary consumers as a group. As they leverage and use their capital to support their interests, they fortify the entire community. Academy graduates have already given a great deal to the Rochester area community. In fact, most of them have lived, studied and worked here for many years: Participant Years Living in Rochester/Monroe County years years 20% years 26% years 26% 1-9 years 17% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% People are committed to the Rochester region, so the Campaign Academy will leverage the power of both the Hispanic and non-hispanic community to enrich our civic life for years to come. Three of the participants are currently running for the City School Board. Developed and run by Latino Advocacy Coalition members of all political views, this project was especially able to bridge the trust divide and barriers to involvement identified in recent civic participation surveys. 4

5 In fact, there is probably no organization in Rochester as diverse as the Latino Advocacy Coalition. It is a community-based, volunteer led organization of 250+ people in the Rochester area. It crosses all sectors of the Hispanic community in age, socio-economic status, employment, and national origin. Our vision is to foster a climate whereby Latinos participate as full stakeholders in the development of our region s quality of life. The Coalition has sponsored two Latino Leadership Summits and another is planned for Saturday, November 8, This Political Campaign Academy is a direct result one of the goals set at the first Summit, in the year 2000: to increase Latino political clout. Latino Leadership Summit 2000: Goals Latino Leadership Summit 2002: Hon. José Cruz Points to Voter Registration Victory Hundreds of hours of volunteer time went into making this Academy a success. Many leaders from throughout the community made an early commitment to this project. They comprise the membership of an Advisory Task Force of elected and political party officials, as well as community activists who provide insight and serve as training presenters and mentors. The Academy worked hard to be multi-partisan, choosing representatives from the four major parties as presenters, advisors and mentors to present a balanced view of the local political scene. It was co-convened by the Rev. Luis Pérez (Republican Party City Leader and former mayoral candidate) and Susan L. Costa (a Democrat and long time community activist), both Coalition founders. Along with volunteers John Rodríguez (Latino Advocacy Coalition President & Founder), Enid DeJesús (Academy Executive Assistant), Eugenio Marlin (Academy Communications Director, Coalition founder), and José Santana (Academy Mentoring Program Director, Coalition member), more than 60 people have donated their expertise to this effort. 5

6 John Rodríguez & Rev. Luis Pérez on left, Susan L. Costa & José Santana on right, with presenters at center the Hon. John Auberger & Sandra Frankel, Moderator Saúl Maneiro, & the Hon. Clark King all of whom serve (with 11 others) on the Latino Political Academy Advisory Task Force which created the program. A Rochester Area Community Foundation Civic Engagement Grant and the members of the Latino Advocacy Coalition have provided financial support. The Genesee Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross, Ibero American Action League, Bethel Christian Community, Puerto Rican Youth Development & Resource Center, The Health Association, the Monroe County Republican and Democratic Parties, the Town of Greece, and the Susan B. Anthony House also donated a wide variety of support from clerical and facilities to media relations and volunteer recruitment, among others. The Academy s gala graduation event on June 2 nd at the Hyatt banquet center drew a crowd of 210 people. Elected officials and candidates (among them the Mayor and County Clerk, who are running for County Executive), political party officials, leaders of community organizations, Coalition leaders and members, as well as family and friends of the graduates celebrated together this historic occasion. Augustín (Augie) Meléndez, Director and VP, Human Resources, Global Manufacturing and Logistics at Eastman Kodak Company, gave an inspiring keynote address about leadership and community involvement. Borinquen Dance Theatre entertained the crowd, and the graduates themselves, reporting for their learning communities, brought down the house with their genuine passion for community capacity building. But the work is not over. Academy participants have been matched with experienced mentors from their own political party to explore individual opportunities and their own aspirations. These 37 mentors many of them elected officials from state and local government have agreed to meet with graduates over the next three months to bridge their entry into civic engagement. This Academy, extraordinarily successful though it was, is only one strategy in a long term process to insure a diverse body of participants at decision-making tables throughout our community. We all will need to continue our efforts on every front: to agitate for change, from within and outside of the systems that confine us. 6

7 Academy Participants Stand to Respond to Presenters To contact the Coalition: Write to us at 41 Spier Avenue, Rochester, New York or us at 7/2/03 7