Executive Summary

Overview
In August 2014, the movement began. The protests marked the beginning of a new iteration of
confrontation with a system that has proven itself, time and again, to be unjust. We, the protestors of
Ferguson and beyond, have begun to create a new political community in America centered on black
struggle and rooted in justice. The systemic, structural, and continuous nature of police brutality has
highlighted the need for deep change America can no longer operate this way.
State violence manifests in many forms. We cannot love if we cannot live. We cannot learn if we cannot
live. Police brutality threatens the very essence of freedom. We decry police brutality because it
threatens the peace of this nation and the lives of its people. Yet, we also know that addressing
education, economic development, employment, housing, and a host of other issues will be necessary
as we work towards a true eradication of racism and its impact(s).

Purpose
We, The Protesters exists as a space for protestors nationwide to access the tools and resources to
mobilize and organize It is a hub and a source of information. This will never replace the pace and power
of Twitter, the flow of Tumblr, or the grace of Instagram social media has sustained the movement.
The purpose of this space is to empower and equip activists and organizers nationwide with the tools
and resources to continue creating and sustaining communities engaged in a radical new politics.

We The Protestors Open Letter

As we intentionally begin the work of organizing on a different scale, please read the We, The Protesters
Open Letter.

Opportunity and Belief Statements

1. We have the opportunity to eradicate racism and its impact(s) within the next 30 years. By this
time, people of color will be the majority in America. Our democracy, economy and society
depend on this.
2. We believe in a model of leadership that affirms the capacities of every protestor. We lead
together.
3. We have the opportunity to create an affirmative vision of equity and justice for our generation.
4. Communities are ready to mobilize and organize to fight for social justice, centered on black
struggle and rooted in justice
5. We plan from a place of hope and we hold steadfast to the idea of freedom.

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Last Revised 1.15.15
For more information, please contact @deray or @nettaaaaaaaa.

Project Overview
This is a living document that outlines the projects, objectives and metrics related to this platform. This document will be updated on an ongoing basis and assists in maintaining focus and a clarity of purpose.
Policy Think Tank

Book Club

Project Description
We are creating a space
to house policy briefs
and policy-related
materials resulting from
local, state, and national
demands in order to
empower protestors
with knowledge.

Objectives
To create a database of policy briefs
and other policy-related documents
on issues identified by protestors
nationwide
Host policy-related conversations on
local, regional, and national issues
Link protestors steeped in policy
nationwide, creating a new network
of individuals deeply engaged in
policy work

We are creating a

protestor community
centered on texts and

reading related to black

struggle, social progress,
and social justice.

To identify and prioritize readings

relevant to black struggle
To create shared language and
understanding on key social,
political, and policy issues
To support creating communities
that are local, regional, and national
with shared goals and a shared
understanding of progress and
struggle

Measures/Indicators
A. 4 number of policy briefs completed in
January 2015.
B. 12 policy briefs completed by April 2015.
C. Host 2 policy workshops (virtual and/or inperson) with involvement ranging at least
300-500 people that are geographically
representative by June 2015.
D. Policy briefs being translated into
legislation introduced in at least 5 places
(state or local)
E. At least one policy brief recommendation
being successfully passed by a legislative
body or executive branch in 3 places (state
or local)
A. Book clubs established in at least 15 cities
by March 2015.
B. 500 people signed up to participate in the
first book club conversation by March
2015.
C. 1000 people signed up to participate in the
book club May 2015.
D. 30 cities signed up during March 2015.
E. Host 2 national conversations on Book
Club readings during 2015.

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Last Revised 1.15.15
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Activist Toolkit

We are creating a
central space that has
the tools and resources
that organizers and
activists can access to
inform and enhance
their work.

In Our Own Words

We want to create a
space where the stories
of protestors, and the
movement in general,
are housed, including
audio and print media,
in a single, central place.

They Have Names

We are creating a
central space that has
the key information
about each of the
deaths in order to
ensure that protestors
have easy-to-access
information and are
kept up-to-date.

To collect best practices from

existing organizations and package
them for protestors
To create a central location for
chants, posters, direct action ideas
and other resources that can benefit
protestors
Link protestors with other
protestors, organizations, and
resources that can support social
justice
To gather the stories from around
the country related to social justice
and centrally store these stories
Create a space where protestor
stories can be told in order to build
community and a shared sense of
unity
Empower the protest community to
tell its own story and manage its
own narrative of struggle and
progress
To log each death and have an easyaccess guide that can help protestors
understand key points quickly
To assist in highlighting the
structural and systemic abuses of
police brutality

A. Source resources and feedback from

protestors in at least 10 different cities
B. Canvas at least 10 existing protestor
groups and/or organizations to gather
resources
C. Create initial toolkit by February 2015 with
enhanced toolkit release by March 2015

A. To have conversations/interviews with at

least 10 protestors record by the end of
March 2015.
B. Create the initial platform by February
2015.

A. Initial draft of the chart/space completed

by February 2015
B. Chart/site updated within 48 hours of any
new officer-involved deadly shooting

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Last Revised 1.15.15
For more information, please contact @deray or @nettaaaaaaaa.

Activist Directory and

Intentional Mentoring

We are creating a virtual

space to empower local
and regional organizers
to get mentoring and
advice as the movement
continues re: strategy,
actions, organizing, and
mobilizing.

The Demands

We are compiling all of

the local, regional, and
national demands that
have emerged in a
central place to
empower activists to
learn from each other
and to jointly demand
policy and structural
change(s).
We are creating a space
to mobilize people
digitally and nationally
who either want to
protest in a different
way or who have not
yet found a protest
community.

Volunteer/Support
Matching

To link organizers and activists

strategically with other activists and
organizers for targeted knowledgesharing
To create an infrastructure that
supports relationship-building in
ways that enhance and build the
movement
To create opportunities for advisors
to interface directly with organizers
and activists
To centrally assemble all local,
regional, and national demands.
To highlight the interconnectedness
and/or differences in demands that
have emerged across the country

A. At least 10 local, regional, or national

activists express interest during by
February 2015.
B. At least 30 potential mentors express
interest by March 2015.
C. Link at least 10 activists to potential
mentors by April 2015.

To create an intentional structure

that links protestors to identified
needs
To link protestors strategically with
identified needs across local,
regional, and national protest
communities
To create the foundation for a
strategic long-term protest strategy
linked to policy and political
advocacy

A. Identify at least 10-25 protestors/protest

communities, and organizers and the
specific needs
B. Get at least 100 people to sign up to assist
in by March 2015
C. Link at least 30 people who sign up at
organizations/protestors to lend support
during March 2015

A. Compile all of the existing demands by

February 2015.
B. Update the master demands document
within 72 hours of receiving additional
local, regional, or national demands

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Last Revised 1.15.15
For more information, please contact @deray or @nettaaaaaaaa.

Other Projects There are many other

projects that we are
currently engaging,
ranging from compiling
information for
protestors re: elections
and candidates to
creating a portal for
education-related
resources.

To create an intentional structure to

store education-related materials for
use
To compile information related to
elections and voting campaigns of
which protestors are engaged
To compile a listing of the protest
communities nationwide into a
central place for easy access to
information

A. Create a portal to house education-related

material by February 2015
B. To begin compiling information with/from
activists related to elections and
campaigns
C. Compile a set of resources for activists and
organizers to be used in the upcoming
election season by March 2015
D. Create a tech-toolkit for organizers by
March 2015

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Last Revised 1.15.15
For more information, please contact @deray or @nettaaaaaaaa.