Growing up a lobbyist

Apologies, I haven't written a blog post in a month. June was overwhelming and completely worth it, but it's time to debrief from all that and bring my blog up to speed!

One thing that made June special was the RESULTS International Conference two weeks ago.

Ordinarily, there are several days of workshops, panels, and networking opportunities. The conference culminates in a day of lobbying on Capitol Hill. I've been tagging along with my mom to this thing since I was nine, and every year I grow a little more as an advocate.

At this year's virtual conference, we received the usual statistics and trainings, of course. We also had the opportunity to hear from our leaders and our fellow advocates, from experts on policy and experts on poverty who have experienced it firsthand, what our work means in this moment. The protests are important. So are lobby meetings. The U.S. poverty branch of RESULTS has been working on housing and the racial wealth gap for years, and the global poverty branch is trying to make COVID-19 vaccine distribution as equitable as possible when it's approved.

I enjoy writing timeline blogs, so let's do that! Then I'll reflect a little on this year's conference, which was held on Zoom because of COVID-19, and the anti-poverty work of RESULTS at a time when there are uprisings in every state against police brutality and racism. 

Looking back on these years, I feel both guilty and grateful that my family has the privilege to be able to travel to DC every year. As family vacations go, my sister and I certainly learned a lot about leveraging privilege to make progress. Good job, Mom!

3rd grade (just finished), age 9: I met a bunch of my mom's friends. I didn't pay much attention during conference sessions, but I thoroughly memorized elevator pitches so I could recite them word for word, if prompted. I was shy and didn't speak during lobby meetings very much, unless Mom forgot a statistic, in which case I would whisper it to her.

Yeah, I got to carry Mom's clipboard. So cool!

Looking back on it, where did we get that stripey, uncomfortable lobby outfit for me?? Was that a hand-me-down from my cousin?

4th grade, age 10: This year, my little sister came with us, so I had to level up, of course! I took on speaking roles in meetings (making the funding request at the end, or giving a prepared speech about how, as an elementary school student, I cared about global education) and bickered with my sister from the Senate to the House. I loved the color green that year, as you can see.

5th grade, age 11: This year, my sister and I weren't the only kids at the conference! There was one other fifth grader, also brought by his mom. We were friends from school, so all 3 kids out of maybe 400-500 conference attendees were in the Missouri delegation. How diverse, she said sarcastically.

This was the year I got really into note-taking during conference sessions. I continued to speak up in meetings, and discovered that I much preferred discussing policy, rather than personal stories.

In a sea of grown-ups dancing after lobby day, three kids in the background are wondering what we're doing here.

I love this picture of my baby sister so much. Even more, I love that it was taken right after she opened the Senate meeting by explaining what RESULTS is. 

6th grade, age 12: With my first year of middle school completed, I was much more confident. The Illinois team needed more people for Lobby Day, so even though I lived in Missouri I joined them for the afternoon. After our Senate meetings (pictured below), I lobbied separately from my mom and sister, which was a big step up for me, and I had helped plan our schedule with Mom before we arrived in DC. 

For context, scheduling lobby meetings is a stressful, complicated business, and we made this video... to help explain it to my sister, I guess? I don't really remember why we made this video but I think it's cute. 

This adorable pup is named Magpie. I met her at an Illinois Congressman's office!

The Illinois group leader treated me like a regular advocate, not just a kid. I had to know my stuff and be prepared to hold down a role in each meeting.

7th grade, age 13: There were FIVE YOUNG PEOPLE in the Missouri global poverty team! Debate team/Model UN kids make excellent lobbyists, as we learned that year.

Pro tip: wear good shoes, for much walking.

Also pro tip: no one is required to wear a dress or a skirt. 7th grade me finally figured this out and was much happier in pants.

If you are a Missouri constituent visiting in July, Senator McCaskill's office would give you ice cream! Our Senators are now Roy Blunt and Josh Hawley, though. They do not have ice cream.

8th grade, age 14: At my fifth conference, I was finally at the point where I felt ready to lead newer volunteers around and facilitate meetings myself. Summer and I diligently took notes during conference sessions, practiced lobbying together, and then went separate ways for Lobby Day. This was the year that I became super passionate about fighting the TB epidemic.

I wasn't just supposed to lobby on TB because it was in the talking points that year. I cared because I had heard personal stories from TB survivors and researchers at the conference and would lie awake thinking about it back in the hotel room. It's a cause and a symptom of poverty, the biggest global infectious disease killer, widening and worsening inequalities. My Senator matters because he's on the committee that can provide funding to fight TB, or not. I finally understood why my mom decided to join RESULTS on her own.

While I talk to Congressman Bost about global health and the U.S. housing crisis with the IL team...

It's Summer's turn to meet a puppy on Capitol Hill!

 

9th grade, age 15: I had finished a year of high school, and even more importantly, it was my first conference as a group co-leader. Facilitating lobby prep, checking in with first-time conference attendees, networking with other group leaders... that was all fine. The real challenge was trying to keep my heavily caffeinated sister under control. There was a Starbucks in the hotel.

Here's my sister with a caffeinated strawberry lemonade. If anyone who attended the 2019 conference is reading this, I apologize on behalf of my sister who nearly ran over several volunteers. She went from jittery to bouncing off the walls before I could catch her.

  

We debrief from a long day at the conference in a video message to our dad at home.

After years of doing my own thing with Illinois, I was really excited to be in a mother-daughter team when the MO group split up to cover more ground. I believe we had like 8 districts to meet with, plus our Senators? I just remember being very tired by the end.

10th grade, age 16: That's this year! The conference went virtual, but that didn't stop long-time RESULTS members from letting me know how much I've grown. I even got mistaken for my mom on a Zoom call.

And here's what I look like! All grown up and going into 11th grade this fall.

The MO global poverty team holds a Zoom lobby meeting about international emergency relief funding, in response to COVID-19.

So, this was supposed to be a reflection on the month of June, 2020. It ended up being my life story, whoops. 

I've grown up in a movement of passionate, committed everyday people dedicated to fighting poverty. RESULTS is growing fast, both in numbers and in terms of becoming a more diverse and inclusive space. I am proud to be a part of this, and I know that we're here to stay. Happy 40th anniversary, RESULTS!

At my first conference, I didn't see anyone my age at all. At my second conference, there was a new fellowship to bring young people to RESULTS, but "young people" meant ages 18-30. Now, there are many more elementary/middle/high school advocates, and I hope that continues. In a way, I'm really grateful that this year's conference was virtual because it was less expensive, more accessible to volunteers.

As a movement, I'm glad to see that we are stepping up and renewing our commitment to anti-oppression values and actions this year. When I've been so lucky to be in RESULTS for a long time, and there's a sudden wave of outrage and action sweeping the country, I have a place to go to process and learn, and continue taking action even from my house.

RESULTS has book clubs and monthly national webinars, where we've regularly discussed anti-oppression, and specifically anti-racism. This conference, however, brought together 800 volunteers and for many, it was the first time that we've talked about what RESULTS as an organization is doing to act in solidarity.

As Naveed Chaudhri, Head of Campaigns at RESULTS UK wrote, "The conference came at a time when the Black Lives Matter movement rightly reinforces how racism and poverty are intertwined."

There's so much that needs to be done to tackle systemic oppression. Even within anti-poverty movements, we must be constantly vigilant to make sure our actions are actually empowering those around us. This conference reminded me of that, and gave us the tools to keep doing the work.

To join us, visit https://results.org/. See you out there, virtually!

**Bonus year: the summer after first grade, we took our first family trip to DC. I didn't count it earlier because my sister and I didn't actually attend the conference. We went sightseeing while Mom did her work, and only showed up for a (very boring, in my 7-year-old opinion) reception after Lobby Day, plus a constituent coffee hour with our Illinois Senators. 

These Senators thought they could avoid lobbyists by talking to the little girls... SIKE the little girls are lobbyists and have handwritten letters/drawings about global immunization for ya from our young peers back home.

Hello, my name is... bored an uncomfortable in this dress. No wonder Mom waited until I finished 3rd grade, we were too much to handle at the conference at 5 and 7.