On August 23, the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild did the unthinkable. Six months into a pandemic, we joined forces with Pablo Center at the Confluence, the Eau Claire Area School District, Uniting Bridges of Eau Claire, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Office of Multicultural Affairs, and Eau Claire Sport Warehouse to host an in-person (yes, you read that right!) event: a screening and conversation on the new documentary John Lewis: Good Trouble.
None of it was easy. It’s hard enough for multiple organizations to come together to envision, fund, publicize and host an event of this caliber, but doing so in a pandemic only increased the difficulties. Ensuring that we exceeded all public health guidelines added a new wrinkle to our planning process, but we were happy to do it to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community members.
Despite a few setbacks (including rain delay!), the event was one of the most memorable I’ve been a part of here in Eau Claire. Perhaps 100 folks attended, each of them masked and socially distanced on the wooden benches at Owen Park. Before the film began, I had the pleasure of chatting with students, alumni, well-known musicians, visual artists, and even Eau Claire’s chief of police. People turned out because they wanted to learn about the late congressman John Lewis, and in particular, what the congressman meant when he spoke of “good trouble.”
Owen Park Band Shell, August 23
By movie’s end, we’d created a little good trouble ourselves. It was a modest effort, to be sure, though as we wandered back into our community that night, we began asking ourselves what more we could do to further promote equity, inclusion, and justice right here in the Chippewa Valley. One thing we learned immediately is that to continue building momentum on this front (and all fronts!), we needed to double down on our partnerships.
“The more you give, the more we can give.”
In pandemic-ridden times such as these, partnerships are more valuable than ever. The more we collaborate, the more we have to share. But in order for the Guild to be a great community partner, we need to raise the funds to join in. The more you give, the more we can give.
Which is why today we’re thrilled to announce the 20 x 5 Challenge. Simply put, we’re looking for 20 generous individuals to becoming sustaining members at the 5.00/month level. What will 100.00 a month do for our organization? An awful lot!
“What will 100.00 a month do for our organization? An awful lot!”
For starters, it will allow us to continue to offer free virtual programming to the community and wider world. Over the past seven months, rather than shut down our activities, we’ve pivoted to the virtual format. You’ve enjoyed craft chats from writers across the country, including Tessa Fontaine, Nick Butler, Peter Geye, Kimberly Blaeser, Christina Clancy, Neal Griffin, and, this Thursday, Barrett Swanson. In November, we’re thrilled to host Dr. José Alvegue, followed by Dr. David Shih in January. And stay turned for more info soon about an amazing Sound & Stories event streaming your way this December.
But make no mistake: none of this is possible without you. Which is why we’re asking you to please make a gift to the Guild today. Help us fulfill our 20 x 5 Challenge by clicking here.
Together, we can bring more to the Valley by partnering with so many admirable organizations. Let’s show the world what words can do. And let’s put action beyond our words. Let’s make a little “good trouble” together, and strengthen our community in the process.