Mahsima Hallaji
Mahsima is native of Elon, North Carolina. She studied southern history at UNCG and is a certified paralegal. Mahsima is currently focused on cultivating spaces in rural communities where people can talk about race, class & gender, and reclaim their experiences with a sense of hope. As an expert Deep Canvasser, she has knocked over 4,000 doors along with leading two national Deep Canvasses. Her passions for honest and open communication are rooted in being a politically activated artist along with a vision for policy that represents working people, not the corporate establishment. Mahsima hopes to attend law school.
Presentations from Facing Race 2020
Running *Towards* Race and Immigration on the Doorstep: using Deep Canvassing and Race Class Narrative to win in rural communities and red states
The conventional wisdom in political circles is that we have to run away from race when we talk with voters. This has allowed the far right to fill up all of the space and define the conversation about race and about immigration, especially in the Trump era. The results for our collective movement have been disastrous, as the narrative about communities of color has become even more toxic and treacherous. What are we to do as organizers, especially as we look beyond the 2020 elections?
The good news is that when we contest for space and meaning, our narrative will win – even in the places we think are the hardest to break through. Based on over 3,000 Deep Canvass conversations with conflicted voters in rural areas in red/purple states, grassroots organizations of People’s Action have demonstrated that we can lead with our values and stories and break through to victory.
Join this breakout and training session to learn about Deep Canvassing, using the Race Class Narrative pioneered by Anat Shenker-Osorio. Participants will learn the foundations of Deep Canvassing, hone a script, practice their own Deep Canvass skills and reflect on how they could bring these skills home. Organizers and canvassers from Pennsylvania Stands Up and Down Home North Carolina will help lead the training session.
Speakers: Mehrdad Azemun, Anat Shenker-Osorio, Mahsima Hallaji, Dominic Holmes, Steve Deline