September

Two weeks ago I began my time in Americorp by taking an oath to “get things done for America.” Probably the most nationalistic thing I’ve said in, er… ever? I’m used to thinking of the work I do as community building, used to thinking of helping people, anyone, never as work for a nation.

As an Americorp volunteer when I’m representing them I’m not allowed to endorse political parties, rally, support unions, etc. (things which, not surprisingly, I have to remind myself not to do).
I was sitting next to a Latina woman who works for a partner organization. She said that listening to the marginalized and helping make their voice heard—through voting or protest, whatever means necessary, is essential to the work. We talked about her experiences of sexism, of flipping the gender expectations—when people ask her to take notes, she decides to facilitate the meeting, when people suggest she go first to ‘soften the crowd’ she closes the deal, she suggests others whose gifts make sense, she speaks up. “When there’s a worthy rally I tell my volunteers… “Oh, you’re feeling sick today? ‘Wink, wink.’” She is one my new heroines.

Intersectionality. Gender. Race. Class. So many things flitting around my head in my new position. I am working for Alternative Directions, as a coordinator of resource workshops at a women's prison and coordinating a mentorship program for children of incarcerated parents.

Today I had coffee with one of the community organizers from my office—she told me how a Jewish man had been afraid to enter her black community but when she said she also had ignorance that led her to fear his community (and had experiences of unfriendliness, etc.) his immediate response was defensive and to blame her, devalue her experience or legitimacy of her fears. She pointed out it was the same fear he held. “People need to have conversations, to listen, people need to collaborate to learn from each other."

I was delighted to find my anxiousness of what the people volunteering with me (training but at different placement sights- ah confusing hierarchy of organizational affiliations)—proven wrong. There’s diversity—of race, gender, class, experiences, and to some extent age. I had worried that I’d be alone in my lens of power relations, gender, race, non-violence, international experience, etc.  but the spectrum is broad.

I’ve been reading a lot of Paul Kivel (Thank you, Jacob!) and thinking about what it means to be anti-racist in my work, who are my allies, how am I supporting others? Chris Parks dubbed it the Jacob Mack-boll lens—“THIS IS SO COOL! How can I be constantly involved in everything and support and network?" A lovely lens to have picked up.

There is so much to say already... highlights:

* Affirmation (AVP) Exercise with my Americorp Buddies

* The Baltimore Book Festival-- the radical pavillion, Chris Crass, hearing Azar Nafisi speak
* Local Natives concert with my Chilean cs friend, Juan.
* Exploring the city when Brookster visited
* Murals all over Baltimore

* The kids I am working with

* Sharing an office with Sarah.

* Sharing a house with Claire.

* Sharing a state with Jess Sarriot & Emily Harnish. <3 p="">

* Visiting Harrisonburg 

I need to write more often, so I will try too.