What fuels and sustains activism and organizing when it feels like our worlds are collapsing? Let This Radicalize You is a practical and imaginative resource for activists and organizers building power in an era of destabilization and catastrophe.
Longtime organizers and movement educators Mariame Kaba and Kelly Hayes examine some of the political lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the convergence of mass protest and mass formations of mutual aid, and consider what this confluence of power can teach us about a future that will require mass acts of care, rescue and defense, in the face of both state violence and environmental disaster.
The book is intended to aid and empower activists and organizers as they attempt to map their own journeys through the work of justice-making. It includes insights from a spectrum of experienced organizers, including Sharon Lungo, Carlos Saavedra, Ejeris Dixon, Barbara Ransby, and Ruth Wilson Gilmore about some of the difficult and joyous lessons they have learned in their work.
I offer comprehensive curriculum development for authors, organizations, and groups interested in:
Deep reflection on social and racial justice
Group discussion and exploration of identity, experience, and accountability
Resources oriented towards concrete action
Strategic Planning & Facilitation
You want to make the world a better place and I want to help you. As your thought partner, I can help you align your values with your momentum using tools like:
Theory of Change development and dynamic impact metrics
Analysis and design of your internal processes for impact and flow
Creative brainstorming to generate fresh ideas and thoughtful solutions
Restorative Practice
I utilize contemplative, restorative practices to support reflection, creativity, and collaboration. I offer several trauma-informed modalities that can be integrated into meetings, retreats, and courses or explored in workshops or individual sessions, including:
Meditation and mindful breathing for increased clarity and focus
Restorative yoga to support spaciousness in mind and body
Sound healing to promote relaxation and ease
Communications & Branding
I offer a full suite of communications support for organizations, coalitions, start-ups, and individuals, including:
Visual and narrative brand development, creation of high-resolution graphics, user-friendly websites, and style guides
Writing and editing short and long-form bodies of work including website and print copy, press releases, and annual reports
Communications plans to help you reach different audiences, grow your social media presence, and increase your impact
Project Strategy
Whether you’re launching a new project or re-building something that exists, I can help you develop a map that centers discovery and growth with:
A strong mission, vision, and set of values to illuminate your work
Policies that center equity and antiracist action
Intuitive and flexible systems that support your goals
About Rachael Zafer
Rachael Zafer (she/her) has worked with organizations and grassroots groups committed to social change for over 17 years. She has collaborated and conspired with community organizers, spiritual leaders, artists, and writers across the country to inspire reflection, dialogue, and action. She is deeply committed to collective liberation, mutual aid, and abolition of the death penalty and the carceral state.
Rachael was the founding director of the Prison Education Program at New York University and was a co-founder of the Prison Arts Initiative at the University of Denver. She is a founding core member of Mourning Our Losses, a crowd-sourced memorial honoring the lives of people who died of COVID-19 while incarcerated in the United States. She has led hundreds of workshops and classes in prisons and jails in New York, Chicago, Michigan, and Colorado.
Rachael holds a Masters in Public Administration degree from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. She is a trained yoga and meditation instructor, an experienced facilitator and public speaker, and a board member of the Ministry Against the Death Penalty, led by Sister Helen Prejean.
Rachael lives with her partner Mateen, cats Bodhi and Lakshmi, and dog Raji in Ann Arbor, Michigan.