Re-Framing Progressive Values: Michigan Political Leaders Fellow CeCe Grant Talks About Developing Progressive Messages

CPL Michigan Political Leaders Fellow CeCe Grant’s passion is developing messaging for social justice causes.

As a progressive communicator, she emphasizes the importance not only being aware of the way conservatives talk about issues but also how to make policy issues accessible to the greater community.

Telling the Progressive Story

Currently, CeCe is a Research Assistant at Third Way, a progressive think tank in Washington, DC that works with elected officials, candidate and advocates to develop innovative policy ideas.

Much of their work targets candidates and elected officials who are in more traditionally conservative districts. CeCe assists elected officials with framing issues such as abortion in such a way that voters understand the reasons to support a woman’s right to choose.

In her work, CeCe emphasizes how a pro-choice position is supported by progressive values—the very same values that conservatives hold. “More often than not, progressive candidates have a hard time connecting with ‘middle America’,” CeCe explains. “At Third Way, we guide candidates on how to speak about progressive political issues in terms of values that Middle America can understand.”

CeCe understands the importance of making the language of policies accessible for the average voter who is often undecided on an issue or a candidate. In most cases, she believes that the key is illuminating how a policy will effect an individual on a personal level. As a press secretary at USAction, CeCe honed this very important skill.

“We had to ask ourselves, ‘how will this policy affect the average person in big cities or small towns across the country?” she says. CeCe’s role as a progressive communicator is to craft messages that will not only solidify the base but also connect with voters who are in the middle. “In politics, there is always a fight for the middle, and for a long time the republicans were winning over the voters in that middle ground. The progressive community has woken up in recent years. We have a strong set of values and are in a position to change the conversation and reclaim our values.”

Finding Her Way Through CPL

CeCe attributes her success to the CPL Fellowship. As a fellow, she was equipped with the leadership skills she would need to pursue her passion for progressive political communication in DC.

“CPL took someone who was completely green and who knew nothing about politics and exposed me to the most influential leaders in Michigan,” she says. “Through the nine-month training, I experienced politics and witnessed people truly building political power.”

------------------------------------------------------------

Cece was a member of the 2008 Michigan Political Leaders Fellowship.