How New York Distributed 100,000 Leaflets in One Weekend

From: Clark Kissinger

 A part of the call for a national Mumia Awareness Week, Dec 4-11, is a challenge to distribute one million leaflets about Mumia during that week. Is this just another outbreak of "millionitis," or can this really be done? The experience of the New York Mumia coalition shows that it can be done.

In April, when we were still expecting an imminent court date for Mumia, the Free Mumia Coalition in New York adopted a plan to distribute 100,000 leaflets over one weekend to educate people about Mumia's case and to call on people to get ready for Mumia's first day in federal court (Day X). 100,000 copies of a two-color, two-sided leaflet were printed on newsprint. But the coalition also   called on people to use whatever flyers they wanted. That is, if some organizations wanted to use their own Mumia flyers, that was fine. The goal was the total impact.

In advance of the week, eight distribution points were lined up (mostly bookstores and movement centers in Manhattan and Brooklyn), and the call for the mass leafleting plus the location of where to pick up leaflets was broadcast on a number of programs on WBAI (the Pacifica station in NY) during the week proceeding. E-mail and the coalition's hotline number were also used to publicize the distribution points.

The actual distribution took several forms. Some organizations set up distribution teams. Other people got involved by just showing up at the distribution centers and linking up others on the spot. Still other people just picked up a handful of leaflets and got them out personally as they went about their weekend activities. The important point was that people beyond the hard core of organized forces took it up, and made the weekend a success.

In the aftermath, the coalition found that in two days they had distributed 83,000 of their printed flyers. At the same time, the International Action Center had distributed many thousands of flyers for the May 8 rally for Mumia at Madison Square Garden over the same weekend. Thus the combined efforts really did distribute over 100,000 flyers for Mumia in one weekend.

There are still millions of people out there who have not yet heard of Mumia, and many others who heard something in the past and want to know where the battle is at now. If one city can distribute 100,000 in one weekend, then certainly, with some planning, the whole country can easily distribute one million in a week. Local areas are encouraged to report on their plans in advance.

posted 11/25/00

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