Cultural Organizing Tool

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What is the Zilphia Horton Cultural Residency Project?
New Orleans People Organized for Power Project
Key Stages of the Cultural Organizing Residency
Challenges, Reflections, and Lessons Learned

What is the Zilphia Horton Residency Project

Zilphia Mae Johnson Horton has been widely referred to as the “wife of Myles Horton,” the founder of the Highlander Folk Center that would later become the Highlander Research and Education Center. More recently it has been revealed that Zilphia was Highlander’s first director of Cultural Programs; whose use of art and culture helped to galvanize union workers in Appalachia during the early part of the 20th century. At that time, her organizing work wasn’t necessarily considered “Cultural Organizing” as we know it today, but it is from her book that Highlander takes a page and began to create what is now know as the Zilphia Horton Cultural Organizing Project.This segment of the learning tool explores several key questions that will acquaint web tool users with the project?

  • What is the Zilphia Horton Cultural Organizing Residency Project?
  • (Briefly) Who was Zilphia Mae Johnson Horton?
    – Why was this project named after her?
    – What did she contribute to the HREC and the field of Cultural Organizing?
  • What is Cultural Organizing?
    – Why Popular Education Matters
    – Beyond the strategic use of art and culture to impact policies and practices in marginalized communities.
  • How and when was the project conceived?
    – Tufara Waller Mohammed, Ebony Noelle Golden, Seed Lynn…
    – Curriculum Development
    – 2004 – 2010
  • What was the structure of the residencies?
    – Community Partner Organization
    – Cultural Organize
    – Documentation Team
    – 28 Days to help fortify a campaign using art and culture
  • How were people selected to participate in the project and what were the roles of the Highlander staff members and contractors?
    – Who were the community partners and how were community partner selected?
    – What were the strategic reasons for selecting each community partner organization?
    – Who were the cultural organizers and how were they selected?
    – Who were the highlander staff members and what were their respective roles in the project?

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