This past weekend, Rediedre and I had the opportunity to attend and aid with the Pathways to Power in Training in Wilmington. The two-day training was packed with issue-based conversations and creative team building activities designed to translate into tangible skills which advocates use to activate and mobilize their communities. One of the things I enjoyed most about the training was the emphasis on self-awareness and understanding others in addition to understanding ourselves. Omisade, Jenn, and Nancy all did a great job facilitating the training and they each brought their own personal style to delivering the information to the audience.
My favorite part of the training was an exercise that focused on the small victories that we often forget about when tackling larger issues. Participants were divided into small groups and asked to draw pictures depicting a small victory they’ve accomplished. This activity promoted bountiful conversation and enabled participants to gain deeper insight into the lives of their counterparts. Some pictures depicted the gaining of Sunday voting in their home counties, some celebrated the gradual increase in minority presence in public office positions, and others depicted individual efforts to promote change in their communities.
I am truly appreciative to have had the opportunity to attend this training. I was able to witness great examples of leadership and organizing and engage with active members of communities stretching across the Southeast region of our state.
Khristian Curry – Fayetteville Team