Dr. Danisha Keating discusses the concept of story thieves, which refers to individuals who take other people's stories for their own benefit without giving credit. She shares her personal experience of encountering story thieves in the foster care advocacy space.

Dr. Keating highlights how fear and distrust impact advocates' ability to have collective power and take collective action. She emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries, valuing one's own story, and vetting individuals before collaborating with them. The conversation explores the pattern of story theft and competition within the foster care advocacy community. It highlights the harm caused by individuals stealing stories and voices, which not only affects individuals but also diminishes collective power.

The conversation emphasizes the need for unity and collaboration among advocates, rather than competition and gatekeeping. It discusses the fear of uplifting each other and the tendency to view fellow advocates as threats to one's own success. The conversation also addresses the issue of ageism in advocacy and the importance of intergenerational collaboration.

It concludes with a call to prevent story theft and competition by standing up against harmful practices and creating inclusive spaces for advocacy.

In this episode of Thrivers Stories, Faith Sharp discusses her experience as an advocate in the foster care space and the need for improvement in the advocacy experience. She shares how she got involved in advocacy and the various opportunities she has pursued.

Faith emphasizes the importance of community and connection among advocates and the need for authentic engagement and support from organizations and agencies. She highlights the trauma and pressure that advocates often face and the need for programs to be designed with the input and needs of young advocates in mind.

Faith also calls for a shift in the way organizations engage with advocates, moving beyond just collecting feedback to actively collaborating and implementing changes.

In this conversation, host Isabel Rodriguez interviews Scout Hartley, a longtime advocate and public administration scholar, about the foster care movement and the importance of intergenerational collaboration.

They discuss the need to burst the bubble of the movement and expand its reach beyond the child welfare space. They highlight the power of lived experience and the value of including older advocates in the conversation.

They also explore the role of government and agencies in sustaining and driving the movement forward. Overall, they emphasize the need for collective action and the democratization of the movement.

In this episode, host Isabel Rodriguez interviews Tony Parsons, an advocate and expert in the child welfare space. They discuss the harms of tokenization in advocacy and the importance of authentic engagement and lived expertise.

Tony shares his journey into advocacy and the lessons he has learned along the way, including the emotional toll of the work and the need for self-care. They also explore the need for diverse voices in the advocacy space and the impact of tokenization on individuals' sense of self-worth and the overall movement for change.

In this conversation, Isabel Rodriguez and Tony Parsons discuss the professionalization and tokenization of young advocates in the child welfare system. They explore the pressure to curate one's story to meet the agenda of organizations and the expectations of audiences. They also discuss the importance of authenticity and the need to challenge the traditional standards of professionalism.

They highlight the need for more inclusive and equitable advocacy programs and opportunities, and the importance of amplifying the voices of those who are often overlooked.

The conversation emphasizes the power of unvarnished and undiluted stories in creating meaningful change.

Takeaways

Tokenization in advocacy can devalue individuals' experiences and limit their contributions to their personal stories.

The emotional toll of advocacy work highlights the need for self-care and support.

Diverse voices and experiences are essential in the advocacy space to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the issues and effective solutions.

Organizations should actively work to avoid tokenization and create spaces that embrace individuals who may not fit the traditional mold of an advocate.

Empathy and compassion are important skills for advocates, but they should not be the sole criteria for inclusion in the advocacy space. Advocates in the child welfare system often feel pressure to curate their stories to meet the agenda of organizations and the expectations of audiences.

The traditional standards of professionalism in advocacy can be exclusionary and silencing, leaving out the voices and experiences of many young advocates.

Advocacy programs and opportunities should be more inclusive and equitable, considering the diverse backgrounds and experiences of young advocates.

Authenticity is crucial in advocacy, and advocates should not feel the need to water down their stories or change who they are to be accepted in professional spaces.

The power of unvarnished and undiluted stories is essential in creating meaningful change and reform in the child welfare system.