stories of transformative community building

8/9/2019 Stories of Transformative Community Building

1/27

STORIES OF TRANSFORMATIVE COMMUNITYBUILDING:

THE PURSUIT OF JUSTICE AND RACIAL

HEALING IN GREENSBORO, NORTHCAROLINA

___________________________ Rev. Dr. Nelson N. Johnson

Mrs. Joyce Hobson Johnson


2/27


3/27

November 3, 1979 The Greensboro Massacre


4/27

Billam!son

"easar"a#ce

an$ymi%h

Jim &aller Mi'eNa%han

FIVE FALLENCOMMUNITY AND


5/27


6/27


7/27


8/27


9/27


10/27

The (mar% %r#))le *or J#s%ice


11/27


12/27


13/27


14/27


15/27

SOME ELEMENTS OF TRANSFORMATIVECOMMUNITY BUILDING

1. Basic !"i!#s a$% a$c&'(i$)ass*+-i'$s:• &e are calle$ %o s%an$ *or %he $i)ni%y,

+or%h an$ enormo#s #nrealie$ !o%en%ialo* every !erson an$ o* all !eo!les.

• The conce!% o* comm#ni%y as +e #se i%

encom!asses !lace, race, na%ionali%y,*ai%h, !ro*ession, e%c. -e%, i% is no%re$#cible %o any o* %hese ca%a)ori%ies."omm#ni%y is an incl#sive conce!%, as in

%he beloved community .


16/27


• %ron) *amilies, livin) +i%hin economicallyvibran%, sa*e, n#r%#rin) comm#ni%ies, areessen%ial *or +ell$evelo!e$ chil$ren. /n %heabsence o* %hese *ea%#res, chil$ren 0 es!ecially

chil$ren o* color 0 nee$ hel!*#l in%erven%ions %oovercome an$ correc% a+s in %he s%r#c%#res,sys%ems, an$ nei)hborhoo$s in +hich chil$renlive.

• 2 clear vision is necessary %o )#i$e, *oc#s an$crys%allie s!ecic !lans o* ac%ion, as +ell as %oca!%#re %he as!ira%ions o* !eo!le an$ %o ins!irean$ mo%iva%e %hem %o+ar$ ac%ion an$4or chan)e.


17/27


. S-(a-!)ic F'c*s a$% Tac-ica"F"!/ii"i-0• %ra%e)y re*ers %o %he !rimary a!!roach

or main line o* march !#rs#e$5incl#$in) +ha% ca%e)ory5ies6 o* !eo!le%o *oc#s on6 in or$er %o achieve a!ar%ic#lar )oal.

• Tac%ics are al+ays s#bor$ina%e an$ inservice %o %he s%ra%e)y. Tac%ics m#s% beeible an$ res!onsive %o shi*%in)

circ#ms%ances.


18/27


3. F(a+i$) a$% Na+i$):• 8ramin) es%ablishes a con%e% or a lens %hro#)h +hich

a !ar%ic#lar !lan, !roec%, or ac%ivi%y is vie+e$.&i%ho#% !ro!er *ramin), o#r en$eavors can be easily

%a'en o#% o* con%e% an$, %here*ore, mis#n$ers%oo$,even by %hose +i%h an$ *or +hom +e +or'.

• :ro!erly namin) rein*orces *ramin) an$ is o*%en a !ar%o* *ramin). 8or eam!le, +he%her !ersonalassis%ance receive$ is calle$ supplementary

compensation %o ina$e;#a%e income or a welfarecheck and/or food stamp hand out ma'es a lo% o*$i


19/27


=. D'i$) -&! Dai"0 '(2 3C(!a-i4!E$)a)!+!$-5:• There is a s!ecic bo$y o* +or' %ha%

)ro+s *rom s%ra%e)y an$ %ac%ics$esi)ne$ %o achieve a !ar%ic#lar )oal.>nce a s%ra%e)y an$ necessary %ac%icsare +or'e$ o#%, %hen ac%#ally carryin)o#% an$ !ro!erly coor$ina%in) %he +or'become !rimary.


20/27


?. A(!cia-i$) C(!a-i4! T!$si'$as a N!c!ssa(0 Pa(- '# S'cia"C&a$)!:• /n mos% !rocesses o* social chan)e, a

level o* %ension 5in many cases externaland internalized racism or some other

form of domination) is bo%h necessaryan$ inevi%able.

• The challen)e is %o %rans*orm %he%ension in%o a positive creative force an$

%o no% allo+ i% %o become a ne)a%ive,


21/27


@. P!(sis-!$c! a$% P!(s!4!(a$c!:• The ;#ali%y o* chan)e +e see' is o*%en

s%#bbornly en%renche$, $iAc#l%, an$

lon)s%an$in). Ty!ically, %rans*orma%ivechan)e +ill no% res#l% ;#ic'ly.

There*ore, i% is absol#%ely necessary %ohave an orien%a%ion %o+ar$s meas#rin)an$ aArmin) o#r !ro)ress base$ on o#rabili%y %o !ersevere an$ %o !ersis% in o#re


22/27


• /% mi)h% be hel!*#l %o remember %he ol$ a$a)e %ha%the race does not (always) go to the swiftest, but tothose who endure to the end.

7. H!a"i$) a$% R!c'$ci"ia-i'$:

• Healin) is a !rocess o* overcoming the internal scarsand pain inic%e$ #!on #s, some%imes as a res#l% o*o#r o+n ac%ions b#% o*%en by o%hers. Healin) is abo#%achievin) a cer%ain heal%hy, balance$ vie+ o* o#r o+n$i)ni%y an$ +or%h %ha% is s#Acien% %o +i%hs%an$ an$4or

re!el %he h#r%*#l %hin)s h#rle$ o#r +ay. Healin) isabo#% in%ernal rene+al, *ree$om *rom o!!ressive%ho#)h%s an$ behaviors, an$ a s!iri%#al s%rivin) %o+ar$becomin) *#lly h#man.


23/27


• 2l%ho#)h closely rela%e$, reconcilia%ionis some+ha% $i


24/27


C. Ac2$'6"!%)i$) a$% C!"!(a-i$)Vic-'(i!s:• "elebra%in) vic%ories, ho+ever small, is

a +ay o* enco#ra)in) o#rselves. Thereare small vic%ories, an$ %here are lar)evic%ories in %he co#rse o* carryin) o#%o#r +or'. earnin) %o a!!ro!ria%elycelebra%e all o* o#r +or' is an im!or%an%!ar% o* %rans*orma%ive comm#ni%yb#il$in).


25/27


9. Ha(4!s-i$) L!ss'$s a$% R!ai$)F(*i-:• earnin) is an on)oin) !ar% o* li*e an$

cer%ainly in %rans*orma%ive or)aniin).&e sho#l$ no% r#sh so ;#ic'ly *rom o#rvic%ories %o sim!ly more an$ moreen)a)emen% +i%ho#% !ro!erlya!!recia%in) %he lessons an$ learnin)so* !revio#s e


26/27


• /* o#r vic%ories have !lace$ #s in%o ane+ s!ace, +e m#s% 'no+ +ha% %he ne+s!ace ac%#ally is an$ +ha% i% re!resen%s

in or$er %o s%e! in%o %he ne+ s!ace ins#ch as +ay %ha% i% a$vances o#rs%ra%e)ic obec%ives. &e nee$ %oac'no+le$)e o#r !as% b#% a!!recia%e

o#r movemen% %o+ar$ %he !ossibili%y o*a ne+ *#%#re 0 %ha%Es rea!in) %he *r#i%.


27/27


• 8inally, i% is im!or%an% %o see %ha% avic%ory, or ac%#ally achievin) a s!ecic)oal, #s#ally !osi%ions #s %o con%in#e %he

s%r#))le on a hi)her level. /n %ha% s!iri%%he ol$ blac' s!iri%#al +hich says everyround goes higher, higher! sho+s )rea%+is$om abo#% %he na%#re o* h#mani%yEs

)ro+%h.

stories of transformative community building

Documents