Johnson Harlan

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Come Together Rockford will be so much more than a TV show.
People will gather every week in diverse groups of about ten each in living rooms or churches, representing a rich diversity of people. Two participants in each group will videotape the gatherings, and a trained facilitator will participate. We'll eat, watch a DVD and talk about it. Then volunteers will create a weekly TV show using video clips from the gatherings.
Participants or viewers will contribute their own short videos to be included in the show. Viewers will call in or join the show via Skype Video.
Our community will begin to embrace social integration across race, economic, cultural and many other differences. No more segregation. No more settling for “desegregation.” True connection – true social integration – often forging deep friendships
The community-wide dialogue will be riveting television, Reality TV that’s real and interactive. We’ll become friends and partners, re-inventing our community – formerly polarized but now known for unity in diversity – people having a heart connection. No longer passive “viewers,” we’ll ALL own the show, creating new surprises every week. Viewers joining via Skype Video will be encouraged to start more groups.
The concept is simple: We’ll experience the adventure of discovering fellowship and connection with people we otherwise haven’t ever gotten to know – even people we haven’t dared to try to get to know. Come Together Rockford will focus on the video we just watched and our reactions to it. We’ll begin with Lee Mun Wah’s and Shakti Butler’s DVD’s. We’ll also use movies and TV shows such as Any Day Now which aired on Lifetime from 1999 for four years. It featurs two women, best friends – with flashbacks to when they were little girls. This show pushes buttons. It will provoke lively discussion – even conflict that we’ll transform into dialogue with a heart connection.

As we talk, we’ll uncover strong feelings and needs – and instead of becoming alienated, we’ll learn to communicate powerfully and honestly, authentically and without judgment or labeling. Nonviolent Communication and Mindful Communication are tools that we’ll become familiar with – talking and listening so everyone can get their needs met. Participants will have agreed to accept facilitation by people who have been trained to help us learn how to transform conflict into connection and compassion.

To bring this off, we need a team. Are you passionate about our need for integration, not the “desegregation” we’ve seen for the past fifty years? Do you want to see a level playing field with everyone's rights being respected? This is a complex project – a vision requiring commitment and expertise: Media savvy, technical skills, business, finance, community organizing, marketing, research & more.