The Coco Canary Monthly Newsletter
January 2023
Summary:
A grounding, Molly will be in Seattle for a Creative Evaluation & Community Engagement project in March 2023, and a personal update!
Welcome to Coco Canary!
Hello from Molly C. O’Connor, the principal and founder of Coco Canary Consulting, LLC, a creative evaluation firm.
We are based in St. Paul, MN, and acknowledge that we are on the stolen lands of the Dakota People (specifically the Wahpekute Band of Dakota, who are among the Oceti Sakowin, “Seven Council Fires”). These people were the first stewards of the lands we occupy, and they are still here. We honor their connection to this land and their ongoing resilience in the face of violent colonialism. Learn how to go beyond a land acknowledgment by reading this guide by the Native Governance Center or my personal LandBack story.
Art drawn by Molly C. O’Connor
A Grounding
News, Learnings, Opportunities for Growth, and Calls to Action:
- It is the Lunar New Year for many folks, and two mass shootings within the AAPI community has disturbed and disrupted what was supposed to be a time for community and celebration. See below a list of the names of the victims of the Monterey Park shooting and Half Moon bay shooting (from a California Endowment Linkedin post). If you feel moved, read their names out loud. Pronunciation tip, when you see a “Q” that is a “CH” sound, when you see an “X” that is a “SH” sound, and when you see a “ZH” that is a “J” sound.
Black Lives Matter. Justice For:
Tyre Nichols
Pain and trauma of police killings have a ripple effect on Black communities
Image from @policingequity
George Floyd
Marcus Golden
St. Paul pays $1.3m settlement to Golden family
Image taken by Cole Miska and is from MSR article linked above
Other BLM News
- Not just Rondo: Exhibits show how Interstates uprooted other Black communities
- Minnesota Senate passes CROWN Act legislation
- How the racial wealth gap has evolved—and why it persists
Native-Led Movement Calls to Action
- Demand Federal Agencies Hold Enbridge Accountable for Line 3 Destruction: This call-to-action was created based on Findings from Waadookawaad Amikwag.
- VICTORY!!! – “YOKUTS VALLEY” – ITS OFFICIAL. It’s not called Squaw Valley anymore. Here’s the new name of this Fresno County town.
- Grandmother remembers grandson who died during Rosebud blizzard
An image of a flyer Sully and I made for a project with Public of Seattle & King County
Business Updates
Molly Will Be In Seattle March 2023 To Co-Facilitate a Creative Evaluation & Community Engagement Project With Culture Shift Consulting
I’m excited to share that I’ll have my first out-of-state business trip this March. It is for a project where I am a Creative Evaluator and Collaborator with Sully Moreno from Culture Shift Consulting. Sully is a community engagement specialist. Our project is with Public Health of Seattle & King County (PHSKC), and we are helping them evaluate and improve how they contract with community-based organizations. Since the Fall of last year, we have helped PHSKC get grounded and aligned with their values; we created guiding principles and planned community feedback sessions (for March 2023!) through the help of arts-based methods and a community advisory board; and we are in the process of onboarding local artists to assist in the facilitation and reporting/playback! This project has been so fun to work on, especially because Sully Moreno is a great collaborator. One of these days, I need to write a beautiful testimonial about why Sully is so great to work with (adding it to the to-do list)!
For my Washington State and Seattle-based readers, let me know if you want to try and connect! I’d happily schedule a happy hour or early coffee for all of us to meet.
Other Business Updates
Coco Canary — The Band: Getting pumped for the album release in March 2023.
The upcoming Coco Canary album, Tell My Mother That I’m Coming Home, is planned to be released in March 2023. Keep up to date about upcoming gigs and release events at our Instagram.: https://www.instagram.com/mycococanary/
Molly O’Connor is the President of the Minnesota Evaluation Association for 2023
Starting this January, Elizabeth Taylor-Schiro handed off her MNEA presidency to me. My theme for this year is called “Making Connections.” So my goal as president is to create space for folks to connect and build community. If you’re in or near MN and consider yourself an evaluator or are interested in becoming one, consider joining MNEA!
Personal Update
My Marriage Proposal and Mike’s Upcoming Surgery
Hey all. <3
For those who joined my newsletter recently, it may benefit you to read my last personal update before going forward. For those who read the last newsletter, here is a further update!
- I Proposed To My Partner, Now Fiancé! Yes, it is official. Mike and I are fully engaged! I proposed two weeks ago while on vacation at Wild Rice Retreat. Since Michael made me a ring (out of wood!), I decided to make him a ring for the proposal as well. Instead of wood, I collected grasses, braided them together, and tied a knot to make a grass ring (as seen in the image above). He loved it, he was surprised, and, most importantly, he said “yes.” <3
- Mike’s Surgery is Scheduled for February 8th: The countdown is very real now. Mike and I will drive down to Rochester on Feb 7th, stay the night, and then walk into Mayo Clinic on the morning of Feb 8th to get him ready for surgery. While he is in surgery, I’ll spend time with my mom and Mike’s family. Once he is out of surgery and ready for visitors, we’ll swoop in to give him love! He’ll spend one night in the hospital, and then, if all goes well, the plan is to drive him home on the 9th.
- Molly’s Availability: I will not be available February 8th – 10th, and starting February 13th, I’ll be working reduced hours to accommodate being Michael’s caretaker. Fortunately, his family and my mom will be helping us, so some of the pressure will be taken off me. Hopefully, by late February, he will need less hands-on care.
Thank you to those who have sent letters and texts, and who have called to check in. I appreciate you all so much.
Sending so much love.
– Molly
Let’s Stay Connected!
To keep up to date with my business news, connect or follow me on Linkedin. Don’t forget to follow our newsletter (and share it with others)! And, of course, if you know of anyone who may benefit from our Creative Evaluation services, send them our way. Referrals are what make the world go round.
In solidarity,
Molly O’Connor (she/her/hers)
Founder, Principal Consultant, and Creative Evaluator
direct: (612) 868-0364
email: moconnor@cococanary.com
website: cococanary.com
