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We decided on a simple approach. Work with three (3) groups independently, adults, #teenagers, #children, do a deep dive into the pain of the #neighborhood and ask them what one thing we could do that would help make it better.
We held several meetings at the rec center and slowly gained the trust of the adults. The #teenagers and #children had not been so battle-scarred by life and the neglect of any organization or government that created a #neighborhood that was dying a death by a thousand cuts. The #resiliency and innocence of #children is always touching, and my team was committed to doing whatever was in our power to help them.
The effort started getting attention and that was deliberate on our part. The #police carried it back to City Hall. The students and professors at the #university carried stories back into academia. Joseph and the neighborhood were interviewed by the local African American newspaper. The larger, mainstream daily newspaper came to my team to talk about what was happening. Soon enough, local elected officials were reaching out to us. They wanted to have their names associated with a good cause.
Initially, we were elusive. Do not be too responsive. Make them search us out. Build the low-level hum of energy. Do not give it all to one #politician or one organization. Behind it, we continued work on the #discovery process. What did the people living in this #neighborhood believe could really help them? We did not have that answer, yet. So, in the meantime, we were sketchy on the details. We were being watched, and that is exactly what we wanted. The strategy baffled the #neighborhood association, but Joseph and his group of dedicated #volunteers played along.
And then it happened. Each of our three (3) groups converged on an answer. We fully expected that each one would have a different answer, but it stunned us when all three independently came up with the same answer. I had never seen that before.
A #library. #Children, #teenagers, and adults alike all agreed that a #library would be the one thing that would help them the most. My team could never have predicted that. The nearest #library was 4 ½ miles away across and along some of the busiest roads in the city. No direct bus service. A #neighborhood where most people did not own a car. A #library. Wow did not begin the describe what my team felt. And not just a #library anyplace but one that could be part of the elementary #school. The elementary #school, the rec center and a library would be in proximity and create a thriving nucleus within the #neighborhood.
Tall order. We certainly could not build them a #library, but we could show them how to make their voices heard and lobby for their cause. We could teach the #neighbors to work together within the #civic system to get what they needed. #Empower them to help themselves.
And so, we did. We leaked a little information out to create more buzz. We decided on a strategy with the neighborhood association. Go to the #Library Board and pitch the idea. We showed the #neighborhood #leaders how to get on the #Library Board agenda a couple of months out. The leaders needed time to prepare. We recommended a group presentation with adults, #teenagers, and #children. We helped them to organize a presentation, how to research the backgrounds of the Board members to appeal to them directly in the presentation, the roles each of their age groups would have in the presentation, the data we collected they could use to document the social problems they had, a simple market study of sorts about the drawing power of a new #library and the connection of #literacy to rising out of #poverty. We showed them how to get letters of support and real people that would be in the audience supporting their cause. We helped them with the graphics to tell the story and showed them how to get the media involved. And we rehearsed the presentation with them.
The day arrived. The large contingent of a newly empowered civically minded group went to the library board. Board Members had caught word of the event and were pleased to see so many citizens interested in #library matters. The press made an appearance. The presentation was heart-felt and authentic. I watched the #Library Board Members and their emotional responses to the presentation. I knew very soon that the #neighborhood had made a breakthrough judging by the Board’s facial expressions. One Board Member teared up and all gave the #neighborhood a long and resounding applause followed by accolades.
The outcome was swift. The Board passed a motion to put a new #library on the needs list for funding and placed it in the rank ordering of needs at number two (2). Further, the Board passed a motion to work with the #School Board to co-locate the #library with the elementary #school. And the Board passed a motion to immediately offer book mobile services for the #neighborhood. We were dumbfounded. The neighborhood was elated. Was this really happening?
Next week - Part 5 - Conclusion. A Neighborhood Empowered to Help Itself.
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