Speak In
Summary
A speak-in is a coordinated gathering of campaigners at a public meeting, hearing, or assembly where they speak in turn during the open-microphone period to deliver a prepared statement or testimony. In Sharp’s 198 Methods taxonomy it is method 177, listed under Nonviolent Intervention — Social Intervention [source: commons-198-methods].
Body
A speak-in works by filling the space allotted for public comment with the campaign’s message. Where a single speaker might be cut off after one minute, fifty speakers each taking their minute can dominate a two-hour hearing [source: commons-198-methods]. The method’s force depends on advance coordination (a sign-up sheet, prepared statements, designated time-keepers) and on the meeting’s own rules (most public hearings and council meetings already have a public-comment slot — the campaign’s task is to fill it). The speak-in is distinct from a protest meeting of the campaign’s own: the speak-in takes place inside an institution’s own event, and the audience includes decision-makers who would not otherwise attend a campaign rally.
See methods-of-nonviolent-action for the broader method library.
Worked examples
- black-citizens-boycott-white-merchants-for-u-s-voting-rights — 1960s Black voter-rights campaigns included coordinated speak-ins at white-merchant and county-board meetings.
FAQ
What is a speak-in?
A speak-in is a coordinated gathering of campaigners at a public meeting, hearing, or assembly where they speak in turn during the open-microphone period to deliver a prepared statement or testimony. In Sharp’s 198 Methods taxonomy it is method 177, listed under Nonviolent Intervention — Social Intervention [source: commons-198-methods]. A speak-in works by filling the space allotted for public comment with the campaign’s message.
How does a speak-in differ from a protest meeting of the campaign’s own?
Where a single speaker might be cut off after one minute, fifty speakers each taking their minute can dominate a two-hour hearing [source: commons-198-methods]. The speak-in is distinct from a protest meeting of the campaign’s own: the speak-in takes place inside an institution’s own event, and the audience includes decision-makers who would not otherwise attend a campaign rally.
What coordination is required?
The method’s force depends on advance coordination (a sign-up sheet, prepared statements, designated time-keepers) and on the meeting’s own rules — most public hearings and council meetings already have a public-comment slot, and the campaign’s task is to fill it. Without coordination, the speakers waste their minute on repetition and the campaign’s message dilutes across the open-microphone queue.
What are the historical examples?
The 1960s Black voter-rights campaigns included coordinated speak-ins at white-merchant and county-board meetings — the worked example cited on the page. The method transfers well to any setting with an existing public-comment slot: school-board meetings, planning hearings, parliamentary committees, shareholder meetings. The key is that the institution is the venue, not the campaign.
Related
Learn more
- On Wikipedia: Public speaking — CC BY-SA 4.0