Organizational structure: |
Low-wage, unemployed, and formerly incarcerated Black workers are involved at all levels of organizational leadership, including the Board of Directors. WCRJ has a Leadership Committee, made up of grassroots members from our larger base. This committee is responsible for developing and executing our strategies for organizing and movement building. They participate in the selection of Board members, design leadership trainings, plan and organize events, and meet with elected officials and decision-makers on behalf of WCRJ.
We also have a grassroots Policy Committee, which drives our policy work and works closely with allies in the legislature and city council.
Our work developing leaders begins with deep canvassing in low-income Black communities that are negatively impacted by segregation, disinvestment and high incarceration rates. After an individual expresses interest in WCRJ during canvassing, we follow up to engage them in a range of civic skills-building activities, detailed in the response above.
Based on their place along this pathway of active involvement with WCRJ, participants fall into the following categories:
Supporters: Individuals who have followed up on their initial conversation with the Inclusive Democracy Team by attending one or more WCRJ meetings or events;
Members: Individuals who have regularly attended meetings and events over the course of several months, and who have formally signed up as WCRJ members, committing to continued involvement; and
Leaders: Those members who, through training and leadership development, have acquired sufficient expertise to speak on behalf of WCRJ in public capacities and who participate in training and developing newer members.
WCRJ presently has a core group of 65 leaders who are consistently involved and can be called upon to represent our organization in a wide variety of capacities and settings. These leaders participate in regular leadership trainings, facilitate meetings, interact with elected officials on our behalf, develop strategies for advancing our goals, and act as spokespeople for WCRJ. Our full membership is currently 8,275. |