The Initial Ask
The scene is an upscale office downtown. Gino, an executive for a local not-for-profit funding agency, and Alicia, a local activist and resident of a city neighborhood, are meeting about funding for a community change initiative, the Coalition for the Children of Lakeview. They have known each other for a few years through various community projects. The area of the city they are talking about has been visited by innumerable well-intentioned, hopeful, and disingenuous efforts to alter the community's/communities' experiences of disenfranchisement, despair, invisibility, neglect by the powers that be, being misunderstood, being maligned, being pitied, being misrepresented, and being thrown aside. These attempts to address challenges, tragedies, coalitions, etc. have been tolerated by the area's communities, as well as being looked to for real change. They have also been and are increasingly suspect, as the many incursions into the neighborhoods have been built on promises made but not kept. This particular effort was supposed to be different, as residents were initially positioned as knowers, as partners. The community tried again.
Gino: Welcome! I'm glad to see you!
Alicia: Thank you, gracias. Thank you for your time. What a lovely office!
Gino: Thanks, it serves its purpose.
Alicia: Haven't seen you at the Coalition for the Children of Lakeview community meetings lately. Y'all right?
Gino: Oh sure, just busy. This time of year, you know.
Alicia: (smiling) Ah, yo se. I know. My group is writing writing writing for money.
Gino: (smiling) And we're reading reading reading requests for it
Alicia: How's your famil/
Gino (interrupting): So. We're ready to talk … [he picks up a boxed lunch, taking a bite of a sandwich; Alicia looks on intently, her body language indicating that she would like some food]
Alicia: oh … yes … the community has done a lot of good work. [her gaze moves again to his sandwich]
Gino: Well, yes, it is important work. We've been putting money in for years, more than thirty. The blight, the crime – we're losing a generation. Bottom line: It's got to be about The Children! [he notices Alicia's gaze] … oh, have some water [handing her a bottle of water]
Alicia: um, gracias, thanks [turning aside to speak to the audience] WE? [back to Gino] Well, this time is supposed to be different.
Gino: Different? Oh. I'd been hearing something … [takes another bite of his sandwich]
Alicia: Yes, we required that 51% of people at meetings be residents or we couldn't make any decisions.
Gino: um … well.
Alicia: And other people came, beside residents! I haven't seen so many since/
Gino: (interrupting) but residents? What can, er, did they do?
[turns to audience] Oh shit, I didn't mean that!
Alicia: Who do you think lives there? I live there! Remember?!
Gino: I know you live there!
Alicia. [To audience: He don't see me] (Sigh) They came to lots of meetings, brought other people, youth. We looked at data, planned, worked - It was great! The energy, the talking – so many people! We talked about/
Gino: (interrupting) Well, all right. Let's see what you've got.
Alicia: (said proudly as she hands him a bound, book-size document) The Community Plan – plans, big plans, for public safety, early childhood, k-12, adult ed, housing, youth support. For everyone working and living there. [Gino turns to get a cookie from the lunch box, leaving Alicia standing with her hand with the document stretched out toward him]
Gino: oh! (turning back to Alicia and taking the document, stunned as he leafs through) How many objectives? Strategies?
Alicia: (carefully) 100 objectives. We wanted to be comprehensive, look short term and long term, too.
Gino: (softening as he scans through some pages) wow, these are some that I heard about. I loved the early child/
Alicia: (interrupting) yeah, lots of work – it's about The Children!
Gino: This is why I got involved, like this thing about preschool
Alicia: really?
Gino: Alicia, this is like a last stand for some of us about that part of town!
Alicia: last stand?
Gino: it's been a long time of working, trying
Alicia: yeah, tell me about it
[to audience: He don't live there!]
Gino: Wait, I mean it!
Alicia: I know!
Gino: Aw…
Alicia: (deep breath) Okay, okay. This is the plan and we need to talk money, right?
Gino: (briskly) Ah, yes, money. Well, the Plan needs to be changed for that
Alicia: Wait…
Gino: Look [pointing to a page, showing it to Alicia], here's a table about race, non-English speaking, poverty, immigrants
Alicia: Yes…
Gino: Nobody's gonna give money to that. You have to know how to phrase it
Alicia: But we are black, brown, some poor, some immigrants, originals – a salad bowl!
Gino: There's some socialization that needs to happen. You gotta think about audience!
Alicia: Wait
Gino: This whole thing needs to be put into one page, 5 objectives [he picks up a single sheet of paper and shows it to Alicia]
Alicia: [stepping away] What?! How're we going to strip all that down and away? And who's gonna do that? Who gets to do that?
Gino: Someone who knows how to write to money!
Alicia: (deep breath) The residents aren't going to like that.
Gino: Do they want the money?
Alicia: Well, sure, but…
Gino: Well, then they gotta play this game!
Alicia: … (drops head, takes deep breath, then quietly in a measured tone, her voice rising as she speaks) But that's what we thought was going to be different. We listened when people said residents have to take responsibility. That changes the game. Now we're players, not problems.
Gino: Well…
Alicia: We've earned this. The money will be spent well and we'll track it.
Gino: Alicia, things don't change that fast.
Alicia: There are professionals living there – accountants, teachers, business owners. We can track the money.
Gino: There's no track record from all those past reforms. The record is not good.
Alicia: That wasn't residents, though, Gino. It's not our fault if you guys don't watch yourselves!
Gino: Now, wait a minute!
Alicia: (drops head, deep breath) Pues, todavia es lo mismo! Oh, damn it. Every time, it's the same! Y'all come riding in on your high horses to save us poor souls. Then you turn right around and leave. Nothing changes!
Gino: Alicia, I'm on your side! I know this game!
Alicia: The game. The game! That game has never helped us! The neighborhood is worse! That game only helps you sleep at night!
Gino: Alicia!
Alicia: Don't Alicia me! We worked hard on this. You know me. I wouldn't sign off on garbage!
Gino: Okay! Okay! I know that. But you gotta understand. This isn't … Let me see the Plan again. [they huddle over the document as the lights dim]