TheCaseMade

It’s no secret that we’re BIG Octavia Butler fans at TheCaseMade, so when Samara Crawford Herrera recently came across this quote from a 2000 essay of hers, she wanted share it. Octavia wrote: "The one thing that I and my main characters never do when contemplating the future is give up hope. In fact, the very act of trying to look ahead to discern possibilities and offer warnings is in itself an act of hope." And Samara says: "My ‘act of hope’ is boldly supporting our local public school bond on the upcoming April 8th ballot. It’s been deemed a ‘long shot’ but I just keep making the case and reminding folks that our children’s future is worth the investment!" ? What are YOUR ‘acts of hope’ as you contemplate the future? Please share below!???? ?? Full Octavia essay here: https://lnkd.in/e-kDjkV5 ?? DrT on Octavia here: https://lnkd.in/gF44cVDS

These are serious times. But as Dr. Tiffany Manuel Manuel has said, "Who said social change can't start with music, laughter, and celebration?" And even when the world around us is chaotic, we've got to celebrate our wins and our milestones. That's why DrT was honored to work with Proud Ground in Portland, Oregon, to celebrate their 25th anniversary—a milestone not just for them but for everyone who believes in the power of community land trusts to change lives. And that's the story behind the pictures: A night celebrating the remarkable work of their team, honoring the visionaries who brought community land trusts to Portland, and looking boldly toward the amazing road ahead. How are you celebrating your wins—both large and small—these days?

The most powerful leaders aren't the fastest reactors ... They're the clearest thinkers. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it's understandable. But don’t give in to?the?chaos. The?barrage of headlines, inflammatory rhetoric, and confusing policies are all meant to “jam?the?signal”—pulling our attention away from?the?real organizing work so many of you have been doing all along. If we’re constantly reacting, we risk losing?the?discipline needed to win. Let's pause. Breathe. And refocus. We won’t gain social change if we panic. We'll win if we think clearly, organize on?theground, move with intention, and adapt, adapt, adapt. The?most powerful leaders aren’t?the?fastest reactors—they are?the?clearest thinkers,?the?sharpest #CaseMakers, and?the?most #adaptiveleaders. Let’s be those leaders.

Need a boost? Need inspiration? ?????? Meet Rachel Joy, a Strategic CaseMaker? in Champaign, Illinois, and her city's first-ever equity and engagement director. We talked to her about what it means to be a “welcoming community,” how she used her Strategic CaseMaking? skills to hit a home run in a local TV news interview, and the joy of “hooking” an audience. Rachel told us, "I want Champaign to be a place where everything we do is a reminder of how critical our diversity is to our existence. Where assimilation isn’t an expectation but instead we lift up each unique person and their experiences to support them as they reach their dreams. When we are truly welcoming, we build, sustain and become our safest, healthiest, economically thriving, and hopeful community." ?? ?? ?? Read more in our latest CaseMaker spotlight: https://lnkd.in/gjPX6zVm

We couldn't love this post more, or the important work so many black leaders are doing to make sure our nation redresses the wrongs of the past and creates a better, healthier future for all. Thanks for shouting out our fearless Dr. Tiffany Manuel, Avenel Joseph!

For all of our casemakers, a gentle reminder from our fearless leader to take a moment, breathe, reclaim your presence of mind, and move strategically!

CaseMaker spotlight! Joanna Mimi Choi is a pediatrician passionate about empowering communities to thrive.?Her lived experience as a mother, doctor, and public health professional who has worked in community, county, and state-level health systems helps her think creatively about Strategic CaseMaking?.? ? Mimi loves to cook and bake with her daughters (they recently placed second in the beginner category of San Francisco public radio station KQED’s Forest Ecology Bakeoff!), run and hike with friends, and generally explore the wonder of the world with her family. We talked to her about melding cultures, challenging dominant narratives about parenting, and CaseMaking as a primary care physician. Q: What do you love about where you live? A: We moved to Berkeley this past summer, and we are lucky to live right by an incredible network of fire trails. I'm an avid runner and hiker, and I love being able to put on my shoes and be surrounded by the healing power of nature within minutes. ? Q: What’s your aspiration for your community? A: As the daughter of Chinese immigrants from Taiwan and Hong Kong, I grew up bridging multiple cultures and communities. Being Asian American is a label I only recently circled back to during the Covid pandemic and as I entered middle age. My hope for my future fellow culture melders is that we are more easily able to embrace the vibrancy of being parts of many wholes, rather than feeling like we are not enough for any one identity. For example, not Asian enough or American enough. ? Q: What are some of the obstacles you’re navigating? A: As a mother and a pediatrician, I've seen firsthand how intense parenting has become. Rather than being a joyful adventure of love and discovery, forces like social media and the lack of social mobility in our world have co-opted the experience into one that is fraught with worry, misgiving, and overscheduling. ? The obstacles are both personal and societal, given what a unique journey parenting is for each person. I have been working on trying to be thoughtful about and staying true to what I ultimately want for my children, rather than what I think society wants to see and values. ? Given that so much of this is influenced by our peers, it has really helped to have a partner and parent friends who have a similar approach, as raising children really does take a village. I also really appreciate and respect that U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy?is trying to lift this issue up, as it only is with recognition of what needs to change and group agreement to start shifting norms that we can give our children their childhood back. Keep reading here: https://lnkd.in/ejsrMZRY #health #wellness #casemaking

Strategic CaseMaking? is all about lifting up solutions, rather than problems, and building the will (and a long-term strategy) to put them in place. So, we love these words our business manager, Mariel Ferreiro, shared earlier this week: ?????? Today I am asking myself: “What do I do with my righteous anger?” When it feels like the cards are stacked against the work of justice and emotions of anger, frustration, exhaustion and despair feel big and overwhelming, here’s what I do. I take these valid emotions and I metabolize them. I metabolize them into my fuel, my energy to keep me steadfast on the solutions I know to be true. So here’s the solutions I will be fueling this year, rather than feeding the clownery that doesn’t deserve my energy: ??housing abundance ??ending chronic homelessness ??sanctuary for all ??thriving communities filled with resources I’m making the case for it all in 2025 and beyond. We know what we have to do. Let’s put our energy into that truthfulness. What are you fueling this year? Forward movement, friends. ?????? Thanks for letting us share your words and inspiration, Mariel. (Want more wisdom about building the energy for change? Follow Mariel Ferreiro!)

Dr. Tiffany Manuel’s field guide to Strategic CaseMaking is free to download this week! ?? (Till midnight Friday!) https://lnkd.in/gD_RdAZ2

Our hearts are with all those in L.A. who've lost homes, businesses, community spaces of joy and resilience, and memories of their lives in those spaces because of the wildfires. We know how devastating it can be to lose parts of the places we call home. It's not news that climate change preparedness and disaster prevention and support are truly critical for all our communities.?But too often the common sense solutions we have for avoiding catastrophe and crises don’t get the attention they deserve. We have long supported groups that are forward-thinking changemakers in this space. We’re sending them our love and our support as they do the work of helping L.A. get back on its feet.