Why I Love Community Advocacy
Some insights into the work that I do
So I had a lot of ideas for this week’s blog post. There is a LOT happening around Spartanburg that I will cover in due time. My past week of work at Converse University has been very busy so I think now is a good opportunity to pause and reflect.
One hundred and twelve days ago I launched this blog with a post titled “Why the Future of Spartanburg Should Be Walkable.” Since then I have had incredible opportunities to further this work. I have attended neighborhood meetings, talked with small business owners, gotten connected with other activists in South Carolina, and even joined the board of a local non-profit. I have been blown away by the support, as I never thought this project would “pop off” in the way that it has.
I do not get paid a cent for the work that I do. I do not ask for anything. This is work that I am passionate about, and I am willing to invest my time, money, and energy into making my community better. Like that introductory post, I want to tug at the question of “why?”; I never want to lose sight of my “why” and I believe that taking this opportunity to reflect on the question is integral.
I do not want to take for granted that many of the people that read this blog are not people that I know. That is so wild for me to think about at times, but I know that is the case. I have reached folks from all over the United States and all over the world. I had a local high schooler reach out to me to ask questions for a project he is doing on transportation. I want y’all to understand who I am and why I do this but I want to begin by stating that this is not about me.
I will mention things I have done or things I am doing. I do not want anyone to misconstrue that as an ego thing. I am truly unremarkable and I think anyone could do this. I want to ultimately empower others. Community advocacy is not about you and me, it is about us. We need every voice.
First off, I am a graduate student who works and studies at Converse. I am an education major but I really want to be able to take on a full-time community advocacy role in the future. I know that is idealistic but one can dream. I love the feeling of being in a classroom, whether that be in high school or on a college campus, but that is because I see advocacy and education are intertwined for me. At Converse, I have had amazing mentors who I have learned so much from — namely Dr. Lies and Dr. Jones. Their guidance and encouragement has helped this project grow and blossom into something I am very proud of.
I am not an engineering major. A lot of the numbers and data go over my head. I do my absolute best to educate myself on these topics so that I can relay information to y’all in a way that is both accurate and palpable. These blogs should be accessible enough for you to text a link to your friend who has never thought about walking as transportation. I believe that my education background has given me the tools to do that. My goal is for these pieces to start a conversation. I want you to read and leave this blog feeling like you must act, even if that action is quite small in the grand scheme of things.
I believe I have alluded to “but why?”, but let’s get a little bit more specific. I love Spartanburg. I love my community. I see the potential and I see all of the awesome folks doing good work. This project has been a largely largely because all of you who also love Spartanburg.
One of this blog’s earliest champions was someone I had not even met that time: Natalia Rosario, Spartanburg’s former city planner. The second I posted that first blog, Natalia seemed to find it and share it. She is no longer local but I have luckily now gotten the opportunity to meet her. She is full of energy and passion and truly cares for this place. Her advice has helped me grow and become more educated on these topics.
I know this is getting rambley, but I will finish with this. The Hub City Hopper is an amazing piece of transportation infrastructure that I use a lot. There were multiple situations in which I looked behind me on the Hopper to see an SUV on its way towards me. Cars in this bike/ped path was something that made me quite mad. Me, an able-bodied and fairly young person, can move out of the way easy. This anger was not for myself and my experience on the Hopper. I thought of the families I often saw on the Hopper. Why should a seven year old walking with her family have to watch out for cars in a lane not made for them? I thought of the older and/or disabled folks I often saw on the Hopper. Why should a driver in a car prevent an older person from using this piece of accessible infrastructre?
So I posted the photos of cars on Facebook and Instagram. I am sure it was annoying. I talked with others about the issue. I will not take credit for it, because I am sure it was something the city was aware of independent of me, but I hope that my voice helped get these steel bollards up along the Hopper.
Community advocacy is about using your voice. It is about talking to other community members to learn about their struggles. It is about your voices becoming one. We cannot be ignored if we demand a more equitable, accessible, and sustainable transportation system together.
And that is my “why.”
Sorry for the late and rambley post.
Until next time,
Liv.