FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 14, 2021
CONTACT: Christiaan Perez, press@opportuni​tyagenda.org, 212-334-4275

The initiative, which includes remote learning teaching tools, looks to center economic opportunity conversations around systemic racism and the needs of communities at disadvantage

New York, NY – Today, The Opportunity Agenda and Amplifier launched “We Can Thrive Together: Visioning Economic Justice for All,” an initiative that includes a discussion guide, four lesson plans designed for remote learning and visual art pieces designed by local artists that are being distributed to 15,000 teachers, 5,000 parents and 15,000 advocates around the country. This marks the first step in the initiative to help spark more expansive conversations around the intersection between economic justice with systemic racism, housing insecurity, income inequality, and other major issues affecting our society today.

The Opportunity Agenda partnered with Amplifier to develop the discussion guide that focuses on the economic struggles of communities that are often overlooked, elaborating upon the themes of Voice, Community, Opportunity, and Security. That discussion guide was then used to develop four accompanying lesson plans for 9th-12th graders along with specially designed artwork.

These teaching tools help teachers and parents better incorporate life lessons into academic materials, and guide students through fun activities like making a starter pack inspired by the union organizing concept of “a third for a work, a third for play, a third for what we may”, completing math activities about the pay wage gap, creating a DIY workplace charter for their future employment, and more.

The posters were designed by artists Rommy Torrico and Noa Denmon to help visualize the four themes that were raised in the discussion guide.

“As we enter a new year where stock prices are soaring, yet families are struggling to put food on the table, we are reminded that our framing around Economic Justice needs to shift. We must center Economic Opportunity around an abundance frame, not a scarcity frame – it’s not about competing for a bigger piece of the pie but growing the whole pie for everyone. And it is possible. This guide will help advocates, artists, and cultural strategists achieve this much needed Economic Justice narrative shift,” said Elizabeth Johnson, Communications and Editorial Director

“The events of the last year have put the countless economic inequalities that are rooted so deeply in our society into even sharper perspective. In every state across the country, families are facing increased financial strain, and find themselves having to explain this to their children. Responding to this need, we’re proud to partner with artists Rommy Torrico, Noa Denmon, and The Opportunity Agenda to provide families and educators with free tools to engage in meaningful dialogue around re-thinking the economy, access to resources, and values with their children and students,” said Amplifier Executive Director Cleo Barnett.

The guide features advocates from Mothering Justice, National Women’s Law Center, Poor People’s Campaign and Caring Across Generations who are working on Economic Justice issues throughout the country.

In the following months, The Opportunity Agenda and Amplifier will continue to build on the collaboration to find ways to disrupt status quo conversations around economic opportunity that centers the lived experiences of communities who are often neglected.

###

The Opportunity Agenda is a social justice communication lab. To advance the impact of the social justice community, we shape compelling narratives and messages; build the communication capacity of leaders through training and resources; and engage with artists, creatives, and culture makers as powerful storytellers to shift the public discourse.

Amplifier is a nonprofit design lab that makes art and media experiments to amplify the most important social movements of our time. Since 2015, we’ve commissioned over 400+ artists, distributed tens of millions of pieces of art and sent free artwork to hundreds of thousands of students across the United States.