Des Moines, IA--Leaders such as Iowa State Legislator Wayne Ford and longtime advocate Mary Campos are among the many African American and Latino leaders working to unite their communities around issues of common concern. Through our Drawing Connections theme, 1000 Voices Archive is actively collecting the stories that demonstrate the promise of "Brown Black" dialogues.

Bucking wedge tactics that could divide these communities, leaders such as Ford and Campos have been working hard to create public dialogues to begin reframing their communities' relationship in terms of collaboration and coordination.

Through dialogue and planning, leaders of Brown-Black discussions have realized, for instance, that they can build influential blocs of voters, business clout, resources, market power, and civic action to guide policy responses across a range of issues. Together, they are finding that they hold tremendous potential to shape public opinion and will on issues of immigration, opportunity, and urban policy.

Throughout 2009, this Drawing Connections page will feature the stories of African American and Latino leaders around the country who are taking the lead in building these new American conversations across race lines.

Initial Results

1000 Voices Archive filmed the story of Rep. Wayne Ford several months before the Heartland Presidential Forum and Brown-Black Presidential Forum in Iowa in early December 2007. Excerpts of Rep. Ford's story were part of a short 1000 Voices video featuring several of its storytellers that opened the Heartland Presidential Forum to a plenary audience of 3,500. The video, designed to deliver a message of "community values" and "common goals" was produced by our 1000 Voices team with the input of leaders from the Heartland Alliance and Iowa Center for Community Innovation, and at the suggestion of Center for Community Change/Movement Vision Lab. The video featured Iowa's favorite local rock band, The Nadas, who also shared their own stories with the 1000 Voices Archive.

Learnings

A Great Need. Community leaders are actively looking for voices that demonstrate the promise of working across race lines, especially in light of the current national elections. From Oakland and Los Angeles, to the Gulf Coast, to Columbus, OH, Detroit and Memphis, a trend of multiracial dialogue is emerging. As our resources demonstrate, the last decade has proven to be one of great cooperation among communities of color in terms of voting, business and urban development, and activism.

Sometimes a powerful but latent trend needs only to appear on our radar to "tip" and come alive, and this is the case with Brown-Black collaborations. The more we can find and amplify stories that show African American and Latino communities in positive action together, the more we can show that working together leads to greater opportunity, dignity, and equity for all. Through our Drawing Connections series, 1000 Voices is committed to supporting this positive dialogue.