We are focusing on the need for social workers in political arenas. We’ve always been in legislative settings, participated in campaigns, mobilized voters, testified at hearings, and engaged in other activities. However, not many of us have worked in these arenas full-time. Social workers are elected to all levels of government, including Congress. We have served various staff positions. However, we want to increase the number of social workers and our influence in political spaces. One effort to do this has been the Campaign School held annually by the Nancy A. Humphreys Institute for Political Social Work at the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. They held their Campaign School this past weekend, and I decided to attend as I had before.
I had a wonderful time. The 29th convening at the Hartford Marriott Downtown was attended by about 130 students and faculty from social work programs in 20 states. My dear friend and colleague, Tanya Rhodes Smith, managed the event with her usual gusto. This was the 11th Campaign School under her watch. She took over as director of the Institute in 2014 and conducted her first event in March 2015. She has also conducted a dozen campaign schools on other campuses. She recalled the early days when getting double-digit attendance at these events was challenging. Nancy Humphreys told me how she had to cancel her first attempt because of the lack of interest despite her getting a commitment from the late Congressman Ron Dellums.
What made this fantastic event was the eagerness of the students and a few faculty members who attended to learn the ropes of campaigning. It was the questions they asked, their willingness to be vulnerable, and their admission that they did not see themselves as qualified or willing to ask people for their help, support, and money. Over the two days beginning Friday, attendees were given an intensive overview of how candidates must shape and manage campaigns to achieve success. The indomitable Kate Colye kept students engaged during the full-day training that she has provided at all but one Campaign School. She is irascible and empathetic, challenging participants to move outside their comfort zones while appreciating the uncertainty and insecurity one must overcome to be a public figure.
Tanya facilitated the training on Saturday, featuring several outstanding panel discussions. Inside the Studio: What’s it really like to hold office? highlighted the challenges faced by elected leaders at different levels of representation. Brilliantly moderated by Health Equity Solutions’ Ayesha Clarke, panelists—all social workers—were Connecticut State Representatives Kai Belton and Jillian Gilchrest, Board of Education member Melissa Torregrossa, and Providence (RI) City Councilor Justin Rojas. They described the challenges of choosing between their values and making compromises, the privacy invasion of notoriety when doing simple things like shopping and dining. And the dread of asking for help and money.
I participated in a panel discussion with Dr. Kimberly Hardy of Fayetteville State University, also the Second Vice Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party. We focused on working in the political arena in our divided and polarized nation. Students struggled with the ability or inability to have meaningful discussions with family and friends who share opposing views. Social workers have the knowledge and skills to break through these barriers but often struggle to bridge some gaps.
I enjoyed having in-depth conversations with social work students who were there to take a gut check to see if they have the fortitude, patience, and guile to be successful politicians. Quite a few said they plan to attend our events, Social Work Day on the Hill on Wednesday, March 26, and Student Advocacy Day on Thursday, March 27. They participated at the Campaign School to be counted among the difference makers. They found the discussions candid and challenging and wanted more opportunities to think about the future critically.
We can make that happen.