Lansing People's Assembly: JOIN A WORKGROUP

BACKGROUND:

Lansing People's Assemblies are a Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-led process supported by allies. Over the summer, in a survey stemming from the assemblies, residents of the Lansing region named their top three priorities to create true community safety:

Defund the police and invest the money into community organizations.
Ensure livable wages for all to meet basic needs without worry.
Divert funds to community programs and mental health help (preventative measures).

Throughout the fall, we have explored what it would take to make these things a reality, and we know we need policy change created for and by the People of Lansing.

We are inspired by the BREATHE Act, which is forthcoming federal legislation (video on the federal bill here) that reimagines what community safety looks like. It is considered the landmark civil rights bill of our time. It provides a template for us to create what we need locally (full template here).

There is a lot to tackle, but we can do it together. We need community members of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and identities to participate. We are challenging what it means to be an "expert." You do not need to hold all the answers, but you should be open to learning and working with others. The Lansing People's Assemblies will remain at the heart of our process, providing a space for synergy between the workgroups, enabling communication, and providing any resources/guidance needed.

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* 1. Tell us a little about yourself:

Name

Email Address

Zip Code

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* 2. Have you been to a Lansing People's Assembly before?

Yes

I'm not sure

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* 3. Are you affiliated with any of the following? (Please check all that apply.)

Truth Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT)

Racial Equity Accountability Process (REAP)

Any City of Lansing commissions, committees, etc. (please specify)

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* 4. Which policy section workgroup you would be interested in joining? Rank in your order of preference (1= top choice; 4= last choice):

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* 5. I agree to the following:

To collaborate with my workgroup and determine a mutually agreeable plan for our policy section

To determine which pieces of my workgroup's policy section should be pursued in alignment with the LPA priorities

To bring new community members into the process to weigh in on our work

To center the experience and wisdom of BIPOC residents

To carry out activities necessary to my workgroup's policy section, such as research (e.g. identifying community assets, investigating current practices, locating necessary data, figuring out the options for enactment) and adapting the template language to Lansing’s context

Yes

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* 6. Are there any comments, questions, or other feedback you would like to share about the workgroups, policy sections, or Lansing People's Assemblies?