Despite the organizing challenges posed by social distancing and remote learning, OSA chapters have recently hit the ground running! The Case Western and Cleveland State chapters held new member orientations and OSA Denison held their very first organizing training.
In preparation for the 2020 elections, OSA members across the state have been hitting the streets (from a safe distance), making phone calls, and sending text messages to make sure that our communities are registered to vote and know what’s on the ballot! Indeed, we have made over 35,000 calls to verify voter registration. OSA members in Franklin County, Hamilton County, Cuyahoga County, and Dayton have even created their own voter education materials. Check out some of our voter education tools and resources here!
Alongside GOTV efforts, our members have continued to organize direct actions and advocate for the issues that impact us. In the Columbus Dispatch, Jarrod Robinson wrote a powerful Op-Ed regarding the crushing debt that impacts students. Wright State and Central State OSA members also held a recent forum featuring candidates Leronda Jackson and Mark Fogel (running for Ohio House District 40 and Ohio Senate District 6 respectively) that focused largely on higher education issues.
Shoutout to our eight artist fellows on completing OSA’s very first artist fellowship! Be it through music, painting, drawing, or other mediums, these artist-activists used their talents and passion to create culture, tell stories, and build community. In a recent live-streamed forum, the fellows discussed the creative projects they pursued through the fellowship and how the politics and social movement of today have impacted and inspired their work.
