Many Faces. One Colorado.
What is Welcoming Colorado? Welcoming Colorado is the only statewide project that seeks to shift the negative messages Coloradans hear about immigrants and immigration from mainstream media and misinformed sources. We want to transform this conversation to one of respect and dignity towards all Coloradans.
Background… For years, we’ve watched as mainstream media and misinformed sources discuss immigrants with misplaced fear and blame. Immigrants are dehumanized. Meanwhile, our immoral immigration laws and the global economic forces that create immigration go unquestioned.
So how exactly does Welcoming Colorado change this?Welcoming Colorado members see community education and relationship building as the two major ways to change “hearts and minds.” However, to amplify this organizing strategy, we use the media to reach more people.
Strategy… Bringing immigrants and non-immigrants together to share their stories is key. We provide organizations with strategies to do this by planning events, workshops, etc. We also offer tools to use with non-immigrant groups to help explore immigrants and immigration. And, of course, we use the media!
Earned media It is hard to reach the 1000s of Coloradans we need in our movement through direct person to person engagement. We use traditional media- newspapers, television, and radio- to speak to more folks.
Paid media We also use “paid media,” carefully developed ads that will be put on buses, billboards and benches.Currently, we are working with Underground Ads, a social justice advertising agency. We’ll be launching our own signs on buses, benches, and shelters in January!