Asalam Alaikum!
Last week I was scrambling for power, specifically electricity. In our planning of a community movie night in a newly acquired parcel of land, it was smooth sailing until the day of, when our hopeful power source flat out told me “no” over the door receiver when asking if we could use one of their electrical plugs, and I’ll be the first to admit that the way I asked wasn’t perfect… maybe I had forgotten to say I was with DREAM. In my scrambling, one of the more established DREAM community members walked down to the Detroit Repertory Theatre, and within a matter of minutes, he had introduced me to the manager and had secured power.
This had me thinking about what it means, as a community-based researcher/organizer, to have power, specifically relational power. To me, this type of power is a result of trust, and that’s why I believe that as a researcher, we need to focus so much of our effort on building up relationships and creating trust with the community. That’s why when Br. Dawud introduced me to the manager of the theatre, a wonderful woman by the name of Leah, I felt one step closer to being a part of this community.
With a successful movie night done, I made sure to end my night back at the Repertory theatre thanking Leah for her help with two bags of popcorn and a green apple ginger lemonade that would rock your world. Being able to foster these relationships and build this foundational trust within the surrounding community not only allowed me to pull off this movie night, but it gave me even greater insight into what it takes to be a village. As community researchers, I believe that it is so important to strive to be a part of this village and help the community thrive.
Community organizing is all about using our power and understanding to prop up and empower the community and the individuals within it to take the reigns and work towards growth and engagement. Just as Br. Dawud had used his relational power to foster a new connection for me, I hope to use my power to amplify these community stories and the work that DREAM is doing with my connections in a way that is respectful and dignified.
It sounds like you had a very eventful week, but I am glad everyone went well for the most part! I find it awesome that you are with DREAM and working to amplify their voices in the community. The work and effort you put into everything you do is admirable and I am sure so many are thankful for what you do.