In 1901, a group of 41 Missourians came together to form the Missouri Conference on Charities and Corrections, the organization that would eventually become Empower Missouri. The group was deeply concerned about social conditions in the state and around the country:
- Segregation was the law of the land.
- Women couldn’t vote, and many died in childbirth.
- Children worked long hours in dangerous conditions or wandered the streets.
- Men died in horrible industrial accidents.
- The average life expectancy was only 46.
Our founding mothers and fathers believed that the first step to building social change was to create the space for average Missourians to hold for meaningful conversations about societal issues and create a vision for a better state. For the first ten years of the organization’s existence, this was the primary function of the group. In the decade before embracing advocacy activities in the 1910s, they spent the early 1900s holding meetings, including a large annual convening, to discuss the most pressing issues of the day and think boldly about how to solve those problems.
In this, our 125th Anniversary year, we honor our founders by unearthing this tradition and encouraging our staff, board members, partners, supporters, and other stakeholders to host meals centered on lively conversations on current issues. These dinners are sometimes referred to as “Jeffersonian Dinners,” as President Jefferson was well-known for hosting gatherings of the brightest minds of his time to discuss art, literature, politics, sciences, theology, and history. (He was also known for things that are far less cool and much more problematic, but we’re not endorsing his ideas or actions beyond the dinners!) In reverence of the social justice giants who built Empower Missouri, whose shoulders we stand upon today, we’re simply calling these events “Founders’ Dinners.” The primary goal of the events is two-fold: 1) to expand the networks of attendees by introducing them to new people, and 2) to spark fresh thinking about important issues. Most importantly, these events are intended to be stimulating, thought-provoking, and engaging– a specific alternative to traditional dinner parties dominated by meaningless small talk.
We are living in troubling times, where folks are increasingly unsure if their government has the citizenry’s best interests at heart. We are also living in a moment where so many folks have lost a strong sense of community around them. Powerful people are working hard to pit us against each other so that we will be distracted while they rig the system in their own favor. We are seeing expanding divisions across lines of race, class, religion, and political affiliation. There has rarely been a more important moment in the history of our country to come together and celebrate our commonalities rather than squabble over our differences. What unites us is so much bigger than what divides us, and here at Empower, we want to spend our anniversary year uplifting those commonalities and honoring our differences. We can, and should, take this opportunity to break bread together and dream big dreams for the future of our state– a future where every Missourian has easy access to the food, housing and healthcare that they need to thrive.
Sound like something you want to get in on? Consider hosting a Founders Dinner for your network! It’s as easy as inviting a few people over for a meal and a conversation. Check out our host kit and reach out to Peyton at [email protected] if you’re ready to host or want to learn more! Want to be part of one of these conversations, but can’t or don’t want to host? We’ll be hosting a quarterly online version of the event called “EmPOWER to the People” where you can join with other like-minded folks on Zoom to discuss some of the biggest issues that our state is facing today and create a vision for the next 25 years in Missouri. Our first event is coming up on March 10th. Sign up today!
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