The week after Thanksgiving, a remarkable group of advocates from across the country came together for the first-ever Economic Justice Policy Advocates Conference. The Center hosted the virtual conference along with the National Consumer Law Center, Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, National Association of Consumer Advocates, Texas Appleseed, and Center for Responsible Lending.
Policy advocates from around the nation – many of whom are the only (or almost the only) consumer policy advocate working with their state legislature – had the chance to share ideas and discuss common problems with their counterparts from other states. Tackling topics such as medical debt, criminal fines and fees, and COVID-19 and racial equity, the participants created action plans for meaningful policy changes in their home states.
This first convening of a broad-based national consumer advocacy community allowed advocates to swap stories, trade knowledge, and develop new plans for collaboration. The Center and the other organizers plan to host this conference again in the future, with great eagerness to see what progress is made in the meantime by the change-makers who attended this year.