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When the People Lead,
the Leaders Follow
The Backbone Campaign specializes in the creation of spectacle imagery, innovative messaging and political theater. Most of our work involves what we call Artful Activism, in which we engage progressive activists and organizers in the strategic use of creative tactics such as festival arts, flash mobs, music and other theatrical forms of nonviolent direct action.
The Backbone Campaign specializes in the creation of spectacle imagery, innovative messaging and political theater. Most of our work involves what we call Artful Activism, in which we engage progressive activists and organizers in the strategic use of creative tactics such as festival arts, flash mobs, music and other theatrical forms of nonviolent direct action.
BoldInitiatives (10)
Drowning in Debt graphic by Estelle Shumann
Published in
Student Debt
Thank you to co-host Glenn Daniel's Jr. for setting up this Prezi to accompany Part II of the Student Debt Jubilee Podcast. Student Debt Jubilee & Why Higher Ed Ought To Be Free, Pt. 2 on Prezi
Published in
Student Debt
[READ - Natalia & Kyle's 8/15/12 article on Huffington Post, America's Student Loan Debt] Student Debt Jubilee & Why Higher Education Ought to be Free. 2 Segments: PART II, July 17, 2012 Prezi - visual accompaniment by co-host Glenn Daniels Jr. PART I, Dec. 22, 2012 We are excited to share with you this podcast and resource page built from the information gained and resources assembled for and from our recent interviews to propel this movement forward:
Published in
Student Debt
by Natalia Abrams and Kyle McCarthy [published on Huffington Post on 8/15/12] There are countless stories of Americans of all ages, and from all walks of life, drowning in student loan debt. As a result of such debts, millions of our fellow citizens are not buying homes, not starting businesses, they're putting off starting families, and, for them, the American Dream seems more and more out of reach. Since 1978, college tuition has skyrocketed by over 900%, while simultaneously, grants and scholarships continue to be slashed. The result? Students are forced to mortgage their futures with student debt, from which…
Published in
Student Debt
Natalia Abrams, Fellow Natalia Abrams is an educational advocate working toward solutions to provide accessible, quality, affordable education for all students. Natalia’s first engagement with activism was protesting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She continued her passion by majoring in Women’s Studies at UCLA where she was a student intern at the Feminist Majority Foundation. Upon graduating UCLA in 2009, amid an economic crisis, the issues of education and student debt became the forefront of Natalia’s advocacy. In 2011 Natalia co-founded the Occupy Colleges initiative, a national student movement. While serving as a the media representative of Occupy Colleges,…
Published in
Student Debt
Beginning TODAY, Friday, August 17th, Student Debt Crisis will launch a twitter bomb targeting Rep. John Kline to make him #ListentoMillion and move HR 4170, The Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 out of committee. Student Debt Crisis was co-founded by our ally Robert Applebaum and our Backbone Student Debt Fellows Natalia Abrams and Kyle McCarthy. Please take a moment to watch the short video that our Backbone Fellows produced to promote this Twitter Bomb. Press release and more information and resources below. In collaboration, Bill Moyer Backbone Campaign PS- Friends, I know you value our work. Now, more than…
Published in
Student Debt
S.A.F.E. & THE BE-FAIR PIRATES DECLARE SEATTLE AN ‘EVICTION FREE ZONE’ "We've been hornswaggled by Wall Street long enough. The scurvy dogs at Bank of America, Chase and the rest must 'walk the plank' for plundering America and hanging homeowners out to dry." Washington-based Backbone Campaign and SAFE, Standing Against Foreclosure and Eviction, introduced a swarthy new crew of pirates to Seattle this during this Seafair. Calling themselves the Be Fair Pirates, members of the organizations arrived by land and sea to take Seward Park by storm, calling attention to the plight of underwater homeowners and demanding relief. Approximately 30% of American homeowners have "underwater" mortgages; their mortgages are higher than the value of their homes.
This music video was created as part of the Doo-Occupy to Bail Out America project, a collaboration instigated by the Backbone Campaign (http://BackboneCampaign.org), Ariel and Crystal Zevon to spread best practices in artful activism and community organizing for eviction protection, student debt relief and other economic democracy causes. Backbone Campaign is part of a fantastic collaboration called OccupyGraduation.net in collaboration with OccupyStudentDebt.com, Ben Cohen (of ice cream fame), Occupy Colleges and many more. Graduates across the country will wear cartoonish balls-n-chains as they accept their diplomas and graduate from student to debtor. This creative protest is a fun way to demonstrate how our society's failure to prioritize education instead of war, Sallie Mae and Wall Street profiteers over the aspirations of our people, tax cuts for the rich instead of robust free higher education is burdening our society. Our failure to provide for the basic human right of education is…
Press Release for August 21, 2011 Shared Sacrifice Action - August 22, 2011 Groups took to the air, land and sea to challenge Washington’s wealthiest corporations and individuals to share the economic sacrifices with working families. (download resource page) Joggers, picnicking families and boaters visiting Seward Park were greeted with an unusual sight Sunday afternoon. Huge banners, launched with helium balloons, visible from Paul Allen’s Mercer Island estate, challenged Washington’s wealthiest corporations and individuals to share the economic sacrifice with working families. Those walking down to the water to catch a better look were greeted with a song and dance routine, “Change Your Evil Ways,” targeting billionaire Paul Allen and other wealthy opponents of a state income tax. The groups partnering for the event, Backbone Campaign and Washington Community Action Network, point to state budget cuts in healthcare and education as two consequences of the failed tax initiative 1098, and…