Democratic movements for social justice, both local and global, inevitably face organized and powerful opposition. Movements for change must overcome entrenched political, economic and social structures. They succeed when they are able to use their often-limited resources and power strategically. This is where power researchers like Aly Shaw and her colleagues at LittleSis come in. Researching and analyzing the structure of power can help movements identify who holds power and how power works. By mapping power, researchers can help democratic and grassroots movements plan action that brings people into the movement in ways that affect and transform power. Hear how LittleSis thinks about strategic power research, works directly with movement groups to apply research tools, and how anyone can research power to create social change. ┃chess.charlotte.edu

• Tuesday, Apr. 15, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Rowe Arts Building, Room 130; Register. 

Aly Shaw, M.A., is a Research Analyst working on the state power mapping program at LittleSis, in Pittsburgh, PA. She previously spent 8 years as an environmental justice organizer at Pittsburgh UNITED and a  labor organizer at UFCW Local 1776. Over the years, she has led campaigns to prevent the privatization of Pittsburgh’s water system, to make drinking water safer and more affordable, and organized grocery store workers to win higher wages and safer working conditions during the COVID 19 pandemic. She received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh and her Master’s in Public Administration from Carnegie Mellon University.