Everyday Democracy

Listen to how Text, Talk Act, is taking the pain we have experienced around mental health and turning it into a healing process. The talk around mental health is personal, powerful, and raw, and hearing it might just cause you to act.

We all carry hopes, fears, and worries inside of us, and there’s only one way to get such things out. Text, Talk Act, is striving to foster an accepting environment where we can talk about the things that matter. Listen to the second part of this series featuring the voices behind this movement. They come together to say that we are not alone, as long as we talk.

“The things in our heads are very important, we just don’t talk about them enough.” Anxiety, stress, and sadness are normal, healthy aspects of life; however, when societal stigma keeps us from talking about issues the resulting silence is anything but healthy. Text, Talk, Act, is aiming to break this silence, and cultivate a conversation around mental health. In our three part series we meet people working on the front lines towards this goal. Their voices are joined by the text messages of Text, Talk, Act participants, who have taken part in the conversation to make a difference. The talk around mental health is personal, powerful, and raw, and hearing it might just cause you to act.In part one, we meet Basant, Kayhl, Krystal, and Tim, who will be our guides throughout the series. They outline the Text, Talk, Act process and illustrate the program's unique qualities. Their reflections on the state of social awareness around mental health issues show us the power of, and need for, improved education. The importance of diversity is discussed, illuminating the inclusive nature of Text, Talk, Act. Part one concludes by affirming the role of this initiative in raising awareness, and the speakers encourage us to join the conversation.

Anyone doing community change work wants to make a lasting impact. It can be difficult to find a way to make dialogue and action integral to the way the community works. In Wagner, S.D., residents have been engaging the community in dialogues on race for the last seven years and they've made some significant changes. How have they been able to sustain their efforts for such a long period of time? We talked to Amy Doom, one of the community facilitators for their program, to find out.

The Oakland neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pa., is using the dialogue-to-change model to engage community members in shaping their new strategic plan. Wanda Wilson, executive director of the Oakland Planning & Development Corp. talks about why they chose this process, what messaging they used, and how they've included underrepresented groups in the conversations.

Listen in as Martha McCoy, executive director of Everyday Democracy, tells us about some of the amazing success stories of individuals and communities making their voices heard in an effective way in an interview on The Coffee Party radio.

Roberta Rael, project manager for the KUNM Youth Radio Project, discusses the importance of empowering youth through leadership roles and engaging them in early childhood development work. She is currently involved with Strong Starts for Children, an early childhood development initiative in Albuquerque, N.M.

Program Liaison and Editor Molly Barrett discusses the key elements of bringing a team together to produce a successful discussion guide: who to include and what to do once you've gathered a team together.

Carling Sitterley, a participant in the Many Voices – One Community program in Lynchburg, Va., talks about experiences that piqued her interest in racial equity and her ideas for involving young people in dialogues and action groups.

Vince Two Eagles tells his story of how he got involved in the Wagner (S.D.) Horizons Racism Study Circles and shares his insights on how to direct change to benefit everyone in a community.