Emerging ChangeMakers Network
Emerging ChangeMakers Network is an organization dedicated to research, community-programs, training and leadership development. It finds up and coming leadership and connects them to issues, ideas, people and organizations that can make a significant impact in traditionally marginalized communities.
History
Following Hurricane Katrina, Jessica Norwood was tapped to do a leadership capacity scan in Alabama with the Center for Social Inclusion called Triumph Over Tragedy.[1] Her insight from that work led to the founding of the Emerging Changemakers Network in 2007. Born out of a research project conducted around leadership capacity building, Emerging ChangeMakers Network was founded.
Demographics
The ECN constituency includes individuals from professional backgrounds and economic classes that have a committed relationship to traditionally marginalized communities. However most have a college education and are mainly under the age of 40.
The ECN constituency lives in mostly rural and mid-sized cities and are concentrated in the Deep South with members in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Texas, Florida Pan-handle, South Carolina and Louisiana.
Programs
- Katrina on the Ground (2006)
Following Hurricane Katrina members of The ECN network joined together to support the efforts of "Saving The ECN Selves" and "Katrina on the Ground" by hosting 400 college students in Mobile, Alabama, who had donated their spring breaks to rebuild the gulf coast. They provided food, housing and connected the college students to residents that needed assistance. The wotk was highlighted in Newsweek, People, and Crisis magazines, with television coverage on Black Entertainment Television (BET).
- The Network, in partnership with Moving Forward Gulf Coast[2] and the 10th Anniversary of V-Day brought together 1,200 low-income, women of color from seven states of the 2005 Hurricane Diaspora to be a part of a weekend long healing, information sharing, support and action oriented community.
- Selma Leadership Summit[3] (annual)
The Selma Leadership Summit is an annual meeting that is held in Selma, Alabama, on the backdrop of the Jubilee Bridge Crossing Celebration's re-enactment of the "Bloody Sunday" march from Selma to Montgomery. This summit is an invitation only event for an average of 40 leaders from the network. This group of people is invited by the leadership team to come and discuss the state of affairs in their community and set the agenda for the following year.
- Young Responders Survey/ Harvard University (2009)
The Network is in the process of developing a study with the Hiphop Archive[4] at the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute of Harvard University and Victor Thompson, PhD Candidate at Stanford University to look at emerging leaders, mainly college age, who volunteered their time on the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The ECN goal is to release a report that highlights the stories of these young responders for the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
- Video the Vote (2008)
Non-partisan video advocacy tool used to document voter injustice and general voter experiences. Partnership with PBS and YouTube. Changemakers received free video cameras in exchange for their participation.