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Watch: Rethinking the Meritocracy: A Virtual Roundtable Conversation

September 27, 2024
By Maura Cuffie-Peterson
Photo of Deandra Rodriguez — Community Coordinator, Families & Youth Innovations Plus (FYI+)—Family Prosperity Pilot, Las Cruces, NM & Hatch, NM — speaking during the Rethinking the Meritocracy virtual roundtable. On the photo are captions which read, "And also, I just -- just elaborate on this, the collaboration and the kind of like embrace in this small community feel where we all kind of link arms and kind of come together guaranteed income in the community means empowering our families."
Deandra Rodriguez, Community Coordinator, Families & Youth Innovations Plus (FYI+)—Family Prosperity Pilot, Las Cruces, NM & Hatch, NM
Photo of — Barbara Bierd, Policy and Organizing Associate, Center for Employment Opportunities—Gate Money Campaign — speaking at the Rethinking the Meritocracy virtual roundtable. On the photo are captions which read, "because like if you have been incarcerated or not, you don't have family support but in some cases, you have a family that you need to support right?"
Barbara Bierd, Policy and Organizing Associate, Center for Employment Opportunities—Gate Money Campaign
Photo of Såhi Velasco — Storytelling Program Manager, Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services—The Nest, Guaranteed Income Pilot, King County, Pierce County, and the Tulalip Reservation, WA — at the Rethinking the Meritocracy virtual roundtable. On the photo are captions that read, "And, the ways that we have to continue to challenge a lot of this scarcity and deficit framing right? Of the narratives that have been forced upon us that we have internalized, especially native Pacific communities, the invisibilization right?"
Såhi Velasco, Storytelling Program Manager, Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services—The Nest, Guaranteed Income Pilot, King County, Pierce County, and the Tulalip Reservation, WA
Photo of Maura Cuffie-Peterson, Director of Strategic Initiatives—Guaranteed Income—Creatives Rebuild New York, at the Rethinking the Meritocracy virtual roundtable. On the photo are captions which read, "And we hear tall the time that the guaranteed income means breath, a moment to take a breath, a moment to know that at least something is taken care of."
Maura Cuffie-Peterson, Director of Strategic Initiatives—Guaranteed Income—Creatives Rebuild New York
A photo of Isabel Dominguez, Director of Family Empowerment Program, Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico—Family Prosperity Pilot, Las Cruces, NM & Hatch, NM, speaking at the Rethinking the Meritocracy virtual roundtable. On the photo are captions which read, "And I think a good way to challenge is just recognizing and appreciating that our immigrant or undocumented families are part of the community. They contribute to resources as a big necessity."
Isabel Dominguez, Director of Family Empowerment Program, Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico—Family Prosperity Pilot, Las Cruces, NM & Hatch, NM

On September 20, 2024, to conclude Basic Income Week of Action, Creatives Rebuild New York joined leaders from the Family Prosperity Pilot in New Mexico, The Nest, Guaranteed Income Pilot of Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services, and the Center for Employment Opportunities Gate Money Campaign for a roundtable discussion about Basic Income Week’s narrative focus on unpacking the myth of meritocracy. Roundtable participants collaboratively unpacked the harms, complications, and responses to this framework—and how its narrative impacts our communities and drives our work to advance policies like guaranteed income.

We invite you to watch the entire recording of this virtual roundtable here (PW: EF@7TK1W) and to sign the #ISupportBasicIncome letter to urge your officials to join the movement for economic justice.

 

Roundtable Participants

Såhi Velasco, Storytelling Program Manager, Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services—The Nest, Guaranteed Income Pilot, King County, Pierce County, and the Tulalip Reservation, WA

Såhi Velasco (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, Indigenous CHamoru parent, multi-disciplinary creator, organizer and facilitator. They are based in Duwamish and Coast Salish Territory (so called Seattle, WA). Their work weaves storytelling, illustration, poetry, collage, dance, performance, song and film. Såhi is a self and community taught artist. They are a co-founding member of queer CHamoru art collective Guma’ Gela,’ and co-founder of the Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network. 

Deandra Rodriguez, Community Coordinator, Families & Youth Innovations Plus (FYI+)—Family Prosperity Pilot, Las Cruces, NM & Hatch, NM

Deandra is a Community Coordinator at Families & Youth Innovations Plus, a non-profit organization in Las Cruces, NM. Originally from the small village of Tularosa, New Mexico, she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Health Education from the University of New Mexico.  Her personal journey has guided her towards a focus on behavioral health, community organizing, advocacy, and macro-level social work. In 2025, Deandra plans to pursue a Master’s Degree in Social Work to further her commitment to social justice and continue integrating her lived experiences with her professional expertise.

Isabel Dominguez, Director of Family Empowerment Program, Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico—Family Prosperity Pilot, Las Cruces, NM & Hatch, NM

Isabel Dominguez is the Director of the Family Empowerment Program at Community Action Agency of Southern New Mexico, overseeing the Family Prosperity GBI program, financial literacy, Individual Development Accounts, and small business development. With 16 years of nonprofit experience, she has also played key roles in weatherization, housing, and foreclosure counseling programs.

Barbara Bierd, Policy and Organizing Associate, Center for Employment Opportunities—Gate Money Campaign

Barbara Bierd is a Policy and Organizing Associate at the Center for Employment Opportunities. She has a degree in Sociology and Psychology focusing on Criminal Justice from CUNY-Hunter College. The justice system has affected Barbara’s family, which inspired her passion to change it. She has worked in the reentry field in direct service, helping individuals successfully reenter by finding meaningful employment for several years. Now, she is dedicated to using both her personal and professional experience to advocate and organize around criminal justice reform.

Maura Cuffie-Peterson, Director of Strategic Initiatives—Guaranteed Income—Creatives Rebuild New York

Maura Cuffie-Peterson is a facilitator and strategist working at the intersections of economic justice and arts & culture. Currently, she serves as the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Guaranteed Income program at Creatives Rebuild New York and is a fellow of the Just Economy Institute.

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