Raised Public Awareness of 2022 Racial Justice Ballot Proposals

Problem

In 2021, the Racial Justice Commission (RJC), was formed and tasked with examining structural racism within NYC and revising the city charter to identify structural barriers facing people of color in NYC and, based on community input, to put forward ballot questions aimed at eliminating those barriers and promoting racial equity. The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA), a leading economic justice and advocacy organization, sought to inform and educate the New York City voting community about the three racial justice ballot proposals put forth by the RJC.

Solution

Emma and her team spent eight months preparing and rolling out a robust communications campaign, working proactively to cultivate relationships with journalists on behalf of FPWA, secure media coverage on the proposals leading up to Election Day, and identify and conduct outreach to potential validators. Her team developed key messaging, identified and reached out to strategic media targets, arranged videoconference and in-person interviews, created social media toolkits for validators, and drafted press releases and statements for local New York, ethnic, and national media.

Results

The team’s efforts led to coverage of the proposals by top-tier outlets and programs including Politico and WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show. The landmark measures were backed by over 70% of voters, establishing New York City as the first in the nation to take formal steps to dismantle structural racism in city government.