Community producer amaha sellassie is a student of community; here are his thoughts on what it is — and what it could be.
amaha sellassie: I believe that community is possible. I am sure that some that are listening are saying, 'Of course it's possible. I live [a community] every day.' But when I think of community, I look beyond just people living in close proximity to one another. I look a little deeper at, 'Do you look out for one another, maybe eat a meal together or drink some tea together, or maybe do some type of exercise or a book read or something?'
For me, trust is the foundation of community. Without trust, we are limited in our ability to cooperate and collaborate with each other. Therefore, a strong community begins with quality relationships. Members of a vibrant community have deep connections to one another. There's a real sense of belonging.
As members of a community get to know each other, they can begin developing trust. And trust in turn, can be a force for community transformation. In this sense, community is a social choice. We can choose to have a shallow sentiment of community, or we can choose to pivot towards intentionally deepening it by taking steps towards one another.
I personally struggle with this, knowing more than I have the courage to live. But as the amazing poet laureate, Amanda Gorman states, 'We must be brave enough to both see the light and be the light.' This compels me to pursue a path I know not. I strive to embody what I know and occupy the space of community, we have to live into what is possible for others to bear witness of the possibility.
We are at a moment of great decision in this community, state and nation. Which is why those of us who choose to be rooted in love and community must make the intentional conscious choice to pursue it so we can ground our humanity in it, because we are the ones we've been waiting for.
West Dayton Stories is produced at the Eichelberger Center for Community Voices and is supported by CityWide Development Corporation. For more information on the project, visit wyso.org.
