Why We do the Work we do
I was prepared to write a whole piece about our experience in Baltimore last weekend. I was deciding whether to highlight the original “why,” highlight the amazing people we met or get political and flag the white councilman that decided that we should be the object of his energy this week. While deciding whether to take on wartime or peacetime leadership style, the Key bridge collapsed and I was quickly sobered by the fragility of everything and was reminded of a refrain I heard often over the weekend which was “don’t give up on Baltimore.” So let’s explore this more, why to go anywhere, why Baltimore, what makes us qualified to go.
Why see the world, when you have the beach? It’s a Frank Ocean lyric but it captures so much about our experience and it’s a fair question, if you have greatness at home why go anywhere else. DC is amazing and since moving back in 2015 I have no doubt it’s one of the most unique places on Earth and I’m honored to call it home. I love serving the community here but I delight in being a world wanderer, exploring the unique people, places and experiences that the world offers. In my early 20’s I was a tour guide at CNN in Atlanta and we were a tourist attraction. I would see people from around the world every day and I’d ask them why they came. I’d stick around after tours to chat them up and it was then I decided, I’m a part of the world, a world citizen and a unique value add to the world in concert with everything else.
If not us, then who? Atlanta was the first city we events outside of DC, then we’d go to different places all over the country, up and down the east coast from New York to Miami, to Houston and out west to LA and Oakland. In my travels what I realized a lot of things, we are all similar with unique quirks and mostly we’re adjusting to our environment, rather than influencing it. “That’s just the way it is here” is the common reality in every city, but my travels have also shown me that it only takes a few humans to change everything. They have names and they do things, it’s Lex in Miami, Jeff in Chicago, DA3 in Houston and I can name 10 more. I can’t name 100 but that’s my point, if not the 10, then who? If Greg doesn’t do his work in the White House, then who will do the work? Things don’t get better with inaction, we have to step into our purpose and do what feels right. For me, showing how real people can impact community and increasing people’s quality of life can be simple.
Don’t give up on Baltimore. I’ve had conversations with people from all over the world and at times I take that for granted. Any place in the world is just a community with a shared history based around geographical circumstances. Baltimore has everything that I think a great city “needs” to be great, multiple universities, it’s near the water, Black people and access to other cities. I don’t go to Baltimore thinking I’m doing community service, I’m going because it’s a city I want to spend more time in because I have friends there, it’s beautiful and drinks are still $10 there. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences with the people we’ve met and served in Baltimore, they were gracious and understanding even in this crazy weekend.
This past weekend we ran into challenges that made us seriously question, why would we ever program again in Baltimore. I asked myself that question and quickly checked myself, Baltimore doesn’t need me at all. The truth is, DC doesn’t need me, Atlanta doesn’t need me nor does anywhere else and I’m fortunate to be in the position to serve but I’m also deeply aware of what happens when The Wave comes to town, if only a little bit, life gets better.
This is the part where our work is a balance of ego and impact, and to tell you the truth I’m at peace with the truth about both. I go to other cities and attempt things that others won’t because that’s my job and because I’ve done the work. I care deeply about the collective Black community and our local Black communities and have invested time into building those relationships. The reason why we do what we do isn’t very different than why a politician does what they do, to create impact, socially and financially and to control our narrative. What it means to be Black in America doesn’t have to be a “that’s just the way it is here” and I’m excited about doing the work. So no, we won’t give up on Baltimore, like we haven’t given up on any city and like any healthy relationship we choose to serve you the best we can every day.
