Class notes 1/13

***Many thanks to Katie Coyer for taking these notes***

Community Meeting at the Wild Fig Bookstore on North Limestone

January 13, 2015

Angela Baldridge, the Plantory

·         Bringing divided communities together through understanding

·         Ideas taken from Center for Social Innovation in Toronto

·         Creative people come together to solve problems under 1 roof

·         If 10 different groups share a wifi bill, more funding can go towards their actual missions

·         There are currently around 71 members

·         Promotes exchange of ideas

·         Walls built from scrap lumber leftover from their desks

·         They are able to fundraise around $100,000 each year for partners, super-low rent rate as a result

·         Built around the basis of identifying strengths and figuring out how to apply them

Andrea James, Blue Glass Community Foundation, East End

·         Born and raised in Lexington

·         Before she was 18, she had moved 17 different times

·         H1 overlay proposed for the neighborhood

·         Noticed a wide gap, a disconnect

·         Saw potential— self as filler for that gap

·         Also noticed government representation was not communicating, and that she could run for city council

·         Became the first black woman on Lexington city council

·         Race reconciliation became an inevitability

·         Observed inequality that she hadn’t necessarily experienced personally before, but could not deny it

·         Goal to celebrate successes and each other

·         Fostered authentic partnerships

·         Saw same dynamic in rural community after her move from East End

·         Relationships

1.      Trees and economic development

2.      Art and transportation

3.      Food and privilege (who gets what? Cost? Expectation?)

4.      Inequities and structure        

·         Plenty and how you place it

·         Now works for the Blue Grass Community Foundation

·          

Sean Gladding, MLK Neighborhood

·         Bought Andrea James’ house when she moved, a community member

·         Focus on reconciliation

·         Which he defines as becoming friends with someone who people say you shouldn’t be friends with, for whatever reason

·         Pastor who became a part of a motorcycle gang

·         Experienced judgment when he was with his friends, to be looked at as an outsider

·         Understood that feeling of looking for a place to belong

·         Started Communality

·         a place for welcoming people

·         Experiences with Iraqi refugees and Bosnians

·         Became human beings in a room dealing with something together

·         Position as a white man asking and hearing important questions (e.g. gentrification v. community development)

·         Worked at Mercy Street for 7 years--a place for people who may have been hurt by the church in the past

·         Back in Lexington because he missed the community

·         Now gives life to being a good neighbor

·         Believes in people with resources becoming friends with people who have fewer resources

·         But what if people are all in the same boat as their friends?

Richard Young, NoLi CDC

·         Once never felt sense of belonging

·         Highlighted his frequent moving (6-8 times, compared to Andrea’s 17…)

·         SCAPA, later went to a music conservatory

·         American music system--improve self for privilege of playing with the ensemble

·         1 of soon to be 3 staff members of the “NoLi” CDC which is only two-and-a-half years old

·         interested in creative place making

·         art in development conversations

·         Has experience in reclaiming abandoned spaces and turning them into affordable housing (which I remember from last year Griffin saying they prioritized bringing young artists into the community through that housing, though Richard did not mention this--maybe their priorities have changed)

·         Kept calling the Night Market “interesting”

·         Mentioned night market’s “unintended consequences” but did not address what those were or how they were handling them

·         Says they do a “surprising amount of environmental work”

·         Venezuelan orchestra as social group—model for MusicWorks at Arlington Elementary, sponsored by NoLiCDC

Ron Davis, Co-Owner of Wild Fig Bookstore

·         Visual artist and poet

·         Discreet by design

·         Introvert who daydreams about anarchy

·         Constant self-examination

·         Accidental poet

·         Reluctant artist

·         Bookstore has been open for four months since reopening on North Limestone (used to be located elsewhere)

·         Teacher and preacher inside

·         Felt very welcomed by the neighborhood

·         Wants to host conversations

·         Can’t remain static

·         Need to get involved, even as an introvert