Proposal  for  Circulation  +  Consideration  
 
 
CENTER  FOR  POPULAR  POPULAR  EDUCATION  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sally  Kohn  
Founder  +  Chief  Education  Officer  
sally@movementvision.org  
 Social  changes  require  new  actions.  New  actions  require  changed  desires  and/or  beliefs.  
—  Professor  Michael  Taylor1  
 
 
The   vast   majority   of   progressive   infrastructure   focuses   on   achieving   relatively   short-­‐
term   policy   victories.   This   is   not   necessarily   a   bad   thing.   Many   important   progressive  
policy   victories   in   recent   months   and   years   are   due   in   significant   part   to   this   focus.    
However,  policy  change  is  just  a  means  to  broader  social  change,  not  solely  an  end  by  
itself.    Moreover,  we  will  not  be  able  to  achieve  seismic  changes  in  policy  without  first  
transforming  the  underlying  political  climate  and  culture  in  which  we  toil.    
 
Ultimate  victory  comes  when  the  majority  of  
Americans   willingly   share   an   unquestioned   “Popular political
acceptance   of   fundamental   progressive   education is fundamental
values   and   ideals   as   the   social,   political   and  
economic   norms   of   our   nation.     In   other   to our successful
words,  progressives  will  no  longer  be  pushing   leadership and movement
policy   boulders   up   an   imposing   hill   molded  
on   the   pro-­‐big   business,   anti-­‐government,   development work. We
supposedly   race   neutral   anti-­‐equality   norms   eagerly await the launch of
that   infuse   public   consciousness   today.    
Instead,   the   ideological   wind   will   be   at   our   the Center for Popular
backs  —  the  large  majority  of  Americans  will   Popular Education.”
enthusiastically   and   actively   support  
progressive   ideas   and   policies   as   rightfully   — Lisa Duràn,
good   for   themselves,   their   families   and   the   Rights for All People /
world  around  them.      
Derechos Para Todos
 
Popular  education  is  at  least  one  key,  missing   Denver, CO
ingredient   from   the   current   roster   of  
progressive  infrastructure  toward  this  victory.    Efforts  to  raise  and  expand  the  political  
consciousness   of   significant   numbers   of   people   —   known   as   popular   education   or  
political   education   —  have   been   critical   components   of   every   major   social   movement   in  
the  history  of  the  United  States  and  worldwide.2    Whether  it  was  the  40,000  traveling  
popular  educators  organized  during  the  Populist  Movement  in  the  1890s  Midwest,  the  
Brookwood  Labor  College  that  prepared  leaders  for  the  union  drives  of  the  1930s,  or  the    
 
                                                                                                               
1
 In  “Structure,  culture  and  action  in  the  explanation  of  social  change,”  Politics  and  Society  17  (2):  June  
1989.  
2
 See,  e.g.,  Francesca  Polletta,  Freedom  Is  An  Endless  Meeting:  Democracy  in  American  Social  Movements,  
University  of  Chicago  Press:  2004;  and  John  Foran,  Taking  Power:  On  the  Origins  of  Third  World  
Revolutions,  Cambridge  University  Press:  2005.  

2  
 Freedom  Schools  and  consciousness  raising  groups  and  Highlander  Institute  gatherings  
of   the   1950s   and   1960s,   popular   education   was   an   integral   precursor   to   building  
strategic  leaders  and  energizing  bases  that  ultimately  coalesced  into  mass  movements.    
Today,  the  landless  peasants’  movement  (MST)  in  Brazil  hosts  a  four-­‐month  residential  
popular  education  camp  for  leaders  among  its  estimated  1.5  million  members  who  have  
in  turn  achieved  significant  economic  and  political  power.    Each  of  these  movements  has  
learned   how   popular   education   expands   the   vision   of   members,   who   in   turn   spread  
their   vision   to   widening   circles   of   the   public,   laying   the   essential,   aspirational  
groundwork  for  transformative  change.      
 
“Sally Kohn has a rare Too  many  progressive  activists,  even  leaders,  
cannot  articulate  a  compelling  and  accessible  
ability to be analytical and vision   for   the   future   —   what’s   wrong   now,  
funny and connect with why  it  needs  to  change  and  what  change  will  
look   like.     Either   we   haven’t   spent   enough  
grassroots leaders. Sally time   thinking   about   what   we   believe   or   we  
is the right person for this know   what   we   believe   deep   down   but   are  
afraid   to   say   it,   for   fear   the   majority   of  
project and this is the right Americans   won’t   agree.     We   are   the   victims  
project for our movement.” of   our   own   lack   of   ideological   clarity   and  
confidence.     The   Movement   Vision   Lab,  
— LeeAnn Hall, which   has   worked   with   hundreds   of  
Northwest Federation of grassroots  leaders  and  organizations  since  its  
Community Organizations inception  in  2004,  has  argued  the  need  for  a  
clear   and   resonant   progressive   vision   from  
Seattle, WA
the   start.     But   it   was   not   until   recently   that  
we   understood   how   to   bridge   the   space  
between   intimate   vision   inquiries   with   small   groups   of   community   organizers   and  
explorations  of  values  and  ideas  with  large  groups  or  even  the  masses.    The  answer,  as  
the  history  above  teaches,  is  popular  education.  
 
Most   progressive   groups   and   organizations   do   not   do   political   education.     Frankly,   for  
most   that   do,   it   would   be   generous   to   call   it   “popular”.     We   need   to   meld   the   sharp  
political   analysis   and   theory   of   grassroots   organizations,   progressive   think   tanks   and  
engaged  academics  with  the  popular  accessibility  and  humor  of  The  Daily  Show.    This  is  
what   Glenn   Beck   does   for   the   far   right   (albeit   full   of   distortions   and   fear   mongering).    
We  need  to  generate  equally  compelling,  competing  content  —  infused  with  progressive  
values   and   ideas   —   in   service   of   grassroots   organizations   but   also   accessible   and  
appealing  to  the  rest  of  America.    Popular  popular  education.  
 
Over  the  past  six  years,  the  Movement  Vision  Lab  has  become  increasingly  effective  at  
generating   popular   videos   and   in-­‐person   group   activities   around   popular   education   —  
connecting   hot   topics   and   news   of   the   day   to   fundamental   lessons   about   progressive    
 

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values,   ideas   and   vision.     The   Movement   Vision   Lab   uniquely   spans   the   worlds   of  
community   organizing,   media   and   commentary   and   new   technology   —   bringing   the  
sensibility   and   relationships   to   create   on-­‐demand   popular   education   with   popular  
impact.    In  expanding  this  work,  the  Movement  Vision  Lab  will  build  formal  relationships  
with   grassroots   organizations   and   networks   and   produce   popular   education   activities,  
videos,   curricula   and   other   tools   based   on   the   articulated   needs   of   the   grassroots  
progressive   movement.     In   addition,   the   Movement   Vision   Lab   will   recruit   high-­‐caliber  
production   consultants   to   make   even   more   compelling   content   and   resonant,   to   be  
effective  not  only  with  members  of  organizations  but  widening  circles  of  the  American  
public  hungry  for  accessible  political  information.  
 
For   instance,   National   People’s   Action   is   a   network   of   22   grassroots   organizations.     In  
the   past   few   years,   NPA   has   run   campaigns   to   change   laws   or   business   practices   around  
banking   and   housing.     But   as   the   economic   crisis   worsens   and   more   middle   class  
American   families   find   themselves   in   the   same   sinking   boat   NPA’s   poor   and   working  
class  members  have  been  in  for  generations,  the  organization  sees  a  need  for  a  deeper  
and   broader   conversation   about   how   to   fix   America’s   economy   for   good.     NPA   wants   to  
engage   its   members   in   a   conversation   about   alternative   economic   ideas   but   also  
broaden   the   conversation   to   wider   and  
wider  circles  of  the  American  public.    This   “This is exactly the kind of
is   precisely   the   type   of   need   the   Center   support grassroots
for   Popular   Popular   Education   will  
address,   working   with   NPA   to   identify   organizations need. The
and  translate  fundamental  economic  and   Movement Vision Lab has
racial   justice   ideas   into   bite-­‐size  
accessible   videos,   illustrate   economic   proven it can deliver
alternatives  through  tangible  storytelling,   popular education that
and   organize   participatory   activities   for  
grassroots   communities   to   brainstorm  
connects and resonates
and  plan  together.       with everyday people.”
 
The   goal   of   the   Center   for   Popular   — George Goehl,
Popular  Education  is  to  add  and  improve   National People’s Action
the   capacity   of   existing   groups   and  
Chicago, IL
organizations   to   generate   effective  
popular  education  on  their  own.    We  will  
work   alongside   grassroots   organizations   and   progressive   membership   groups,   crafting  
popular   education   videos   and   participatory   activities   based   on   their   expressed   needs  
and   ideas.     The   Movement   Vision   Lab   will   draw   on   its   extensive   national   relationships  
with   progressive   organizations   to   identify   strategic   partners.     Together,   we   will   learn  
what  works  and  doesn’t  work  in  creating  compelling  content.    Best  practices,  formulas  
and   “do   it   yourself”   guides   will   emerge   from   the   project,   so   groups   can   increasingly  
produce   pieces   on   their   own.     Everything   we   generate   will   be   posted   online,   for  

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 transparency  and  so  even  groups  that  have  no  formal  relationship  with  the  project  can  
utilize  the  tools  and  learnings.    And,  in  addition  to  posting  at  least  two  Movement  Vision  
Lab  videos  or  activity  guides  per  month,  we  will  eventually  create  a  hub  for  other  groups  
and  leaders  to  post  their  own  tools  for  dissemination  as  well  as  feedback  or  advice  —  
growing  a  community  of  practice  around  popular  education.  
 
Over  the  past  year,  much  of  the  left  has  jealously  
“Sally Kohn is the ogled  the  Tea  Party  and  its  apparently  up-­‐out-­‐of-­‐
nowhere   grassroots   movement   energy.     Part   of  
progressive answer to
the  impetus  is  timing;  being  out  of  political  power  
Glenn Beck. She has the is   more   motivating   than   being   in   power   (even  
talent to inspire the relatively   speaking).     But   without   question,   the  
Tea   Party   was   in   significant   part   brewed   on   the  
progressive base and airwaves   of   conservative   talk   radio   and   TV  
engage the movable stations   like   Fox   News   —   not   just   by   the  
screaming   talking   heads   but   by   methodical  
middle.” educators   like   Glenn   Beck.     However   much   their  
analysis   is   woven   from   myths   and  
— Jehmu Greene, misrepresentations,   these   popular   educators   of  
Women’s Media Center the   Right   knit   together   an   attractive   story   of  
New York, NY power   and   vision   —   a   story   in   which   everyday  
activists   can   see   themselves   and   engage.     We   will  
compete  on  the  same  terrain,  with  equal  passion,  
humor  and  entertainment  value  but  also  with  truth  and  straightforward  facts.  
 
Significant   and   lasting   progressive   change   will   never   move   forward   without   mass  
movements  of  ordinary  Americans  transformed  by  extraordinary  political  consciousness.    
We   have   seen   how   difficult   it   is   to   achieve   progressive   political,   social   and   economic  
change  in  the  absence  of  this  consciousness.    Now  is  the  time  for  a  popular  movement  
for  popular  change.    It  begins  with  popular  education.      
 
 
 
 

5  
DRAFT  BUDGET  
 
FY  2011  
Staffing,  incl.  production  consultants   $225,000  
Office/studio  occupancy   $14,400  
Supplies,  equipment,  digital  rights   $8,500  
Travel,  logistics   $35,000  
Marketing,  distribution   $7,500  
TOTAL   $290,400  
 
FY  2012  
Staffing,  incl.  production  consultants   $225,000  
Office/studio  occupancy   $14,400  
Supplies,  equipment,  digital  rights   $8,500  
Travel,  logistics   $35,000  
Marketing,  distribution   $7,500  
TOTAL   $290,400  
 
 FY  2011  +  FY  2012  TOTAL   $580,800  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTE:    The  Movement  Vision  Lab  is  a  project  of  the  Grassroots  Policy  Project,  a  501(c)3  
tax-­‐exempt  organization  based  in  Cambridge,  MA.    If  would  like  to  contribute  to  the  
Center  for  Popular  Popular  Education  and/or  share  your  thoughts  on  this  proposal,  
please  email  sally@movementvision.org.  

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