1. EMPATHETIC CHANGE & ACTIVISM AT WELFARE RIGHTS INITIATIVE Cynthia Tobar 10.11.14 2. FIGHTING THE STIGMA 3. THE SIMPLE TRUTH BEHIND THESE FIRST-HAND ACCOUNTS IS SO POWERFUL IN CHALLENGING THE STEREOTYPES SURROUNDING WELFARE, THAT INEVITABLY THEY FALL APART. 4. THRU ORAL HISTORY, WE CAN HELP GENERATE MUCH NEEDED EMPATHY SO WE CAN BEGIN TO BUILD BRIDGES BETWEEN THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AND POLICYMAKERS. 5. WRI ORAL HISTORY PROJECT wri-voices.org 6. VANESSA LYLES WRI Alumni 7. BACKGROUND WRI was developed in 1995 to specifically address three problematic aspects of the welfare reform debates: the absent voice of welfare claimants, the negative stereotypes that dominate decision-making, and the need for reforms that are realistic and socially constructive. For the past fifteen years, WRI has provided students with the opportunity to participate in organizing and leadership development activities; collaborate with community advocates, activists, service providers, scholars and policy makers to help secure real access to higher education. 8. MELINDA LACKEY Co-Founder, WRI 9. NYS WORK STUDY INTERNSHIP LAW (HRA P.D #02-07-EMP), The passage of the New York State Work/Study and Internship Law is a prime example of how WRI advocates for making education count on a broader level. WRI spearheaded this groundbreaking effort along with students, activists, faculty, legislators, and community partners to allow people on public assistance to apply participation in these programs toward workfare requirements. 10. HIRAH MIR WRI Alumni 11. LOW-INCOME STUDENTS FACE STARK CHOICES. Too many are stuck in no-win situations that compromise honest attempts to improve their life chances. Many are striving to recover from job loss, family illness, domestic violence, and other circumstances that hold people back from success. 90% of CUNY students on public assistance were able to succeed at life after college with a better paying job, moving permanently out of poverty. 12. MAUREEN LANE Co-Executive Director of WRI 13. WHAT DOES COMMUNITY MEAN FOR A COMMUNITY ARCHIVE? Encourages community members to think of themselves as equal players and participants in presenting their history to the larger mainstream. Those who are unaffiliated with a larger university or institutional repository are not excluded from sharing their stories, and they provide a chance to reflect the unique interests, needs, and priorities of their communities. 14. NO MUDSLINGING ABOUT POLITICS AND FAMILY VALUES. THE VEIL IS PULLED BACK TO REVEAL PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT CARICATURES, IT CAN BE SOMEONE YOU KNOW. 15. THIS IS WHAT PROMOTES CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOG, NOT POLITICS AS USUAL, SO THE IMPORTANT WORK TO FIGHT UNEQUAL ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION CAN BEGIN. 16. THANK YOU! wri-voices.org @WRIOralHistory