American Dreams in the South: Immigrants, Philanthropy and Opportunity for All
American Dreams in the South: Immigrants, Philanthropy and Opportunity for All
Arkansas Place-Based Learning Tour
October 6-8, 2015
Register today and reserve your hotel now - before the special hotel room rates end next Friday, September 11th!
Scroll down for updated agenda overview.
The Southeast region of the United States is in a moment of great change and great opportunity. The South is home to the fastest growing foreign-born population in the country, with newcomers invigorating communities and spurring growth. Policies like DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), and other forms of administrative relief for immigrant families, have crucial implications for the region. At the same time, civil rights organizations are still alive and communities are making critical wins. Many immigrant rights organizations are partnering with civil rights organizations to form powerful coalitions and surface critical interconnections between the struggles. The region has a rich history of coalition-based work and cross-sector collaboration for social change – work that continues today.
During this time of change, it is critical for grantmakers to partner with immigrant and allied communities to best understand how we might invest in quality and affordable education for all, workforce development with meaningful pathways to quality jobs, and the broad civic engagement that builds community power for growing populations. Arkansas communities offer creative organizing strategies that can be models for the region and the country.
Join Neighborhood Funders Group, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation for a learning tour in Arkansas. This tour will provide an important backdrop for funder-to-funder conversations about how to best support the changing population and collaborative organizing in the South. The tour will delve into:
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Recent demographic shifts, future population trends, and their current and potential impact on the region
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Proven and promising immigrant integration efforts that boost economic vitality, increase participation in civic life, and bolster the outcomes for children, youth, and families
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Interconnections and collaborations between civil rights and immigrant rights history, campaigns, and community organizing;
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Leaders from across the region; and
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Funding needs and opportunities under recent policies and possible immigration reform that may offer millions of undocumented immigrants the chance to become fuller members of American society.
While highlighting place-based immigrant integration strategies that are effective within the Southern region, we will explore ways for grantmakers to coordinate, collaborate, and leverage funding to advance our shared futures and to strengthen communities.
The goals of this this tour are to:
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Foster increased philanthropic attention to the South
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Highlight immigrant integration organizing strategies within place-based funder-field collaborations for social change, in both rural and urban locations in Arkansas
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Root these strategies in the context of a regional story about immigrant and allied communities in Arkansas, and throughout the South
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Surface and illustrate the connection between a history of civil rights organizing and immigrant rights organizing in Arkansas and the south, and the collaborations between the two organizing communities now.
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Highlight strategies for cultural organizing that engage, bridge, and spark social change in communities.
Registration Cost: $150. Register now by filling out the form below. Please send your questions to nfg@nfg.org.
Co-sponsored by Four Freedoms Fund, Hill-Snowdon Foundation, Mary Reyonolds Babcock Foundation, Philanthropy Southwest, and Southern Partners Fund.
Lodging
Tuesday, October 6th - Little Rock, AR
To reserve a room, call 1-877-637-0037.
The group block has closed, but rooms may still be available. Before calling the hotel, please write to us at nfg@nfg.org to inquire about a room.
Wednesday, October 7th - Bentonville, AR
Group booking is available online and by phone: 1-479-286-6500.
The group block has closed, but rooms may still be available. Before calling the hotel, please write to us at nfg@nfg.org to inquire about a room.
Air Travel
The tour will begin in Little Rock and end in Northwest Arkansas. Participants are encouraged to fly into Clinton Airport (LIT) by late morning on Tuesday, October 6th, and out of Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) on Thursday, Oct. 8.
Important note for planning your travel on Thursday, October 8th:
The tour will end at 2:00 pm; the bus should arrive at XNA airport by 2:45 pm. The bus will not return to Little Rock until nearly 7pm; flights out of Little Rock may require next day travel.
Agenda Overview
The tour will begin early afternoon on October 6th. Please plan to arrive in Little Rock by 12noon to check in to the hotel and register with the event team. Please write to us at nfg@nfg.org with any questions regarding the agenda.
Tuesday, Oct 6th - Little Rock, AR
Our Past: Civil Rights, Immigration, and the Struggle for Equality
1pm Registration opens
2pm Looking Back to Look Forward - Tour of Central High Historic Center and School Grounds
With Sybil Hampton, former Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation President
3:30pm Immigration and Civil Rights: Intersections and Opportunities
Opening plenary and context setting with Dr. Perla Guerrero
4:40pm Break
6pm Dinner
With special guests
Wednesday, Oct 7th - Little Rock and Clarksville, AR
Our Present: The Numbers, The Need, The Opportunity
8:15am Breakfast and begin the day at the Winthrop Rockfeller Foundation
9:15am Immigration in the South by the Numbers
With Chris Kromm, Executive Director, Institute for Southern Studies, and a panel of respondents
10:45am Travel to Clarksville
12:30pm New Growth: Rural Communities Embracing Change
Community Conversation and Lunch
2:30pm Travel to Fayetteville
4pm Building Infrastructure for Change
Conversation with southern funders and grantee partners
5:15pm Travel to Bentonville
5:45pm Crystal Bridges Museum - visit and dinner
Thursday, Oct 8 - Bentonville, AR
Our Future: Building Infrastructure for a Better Future
8am Funder Conversation: Supporting Immigrant Communities in the Region
Breakfast Discussion with speakers:
- Lisa Melton, Texas Access to Justice Foundation
- Regan Gruber Moffitt, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
- Althea Gonzalez, GCIR
Moderator: Monona Yin, Four Freedoms Fund
9:15am Context-Setting for Visit to Tyson Foods Plant
10am Visit to Tyson Food Plant
12pm Investing in a Changing South – Debriefing and Planning
Lunch
Please write to us at nfg@nfg.org with any questions regarding the agenda.