A web of connection: Lessons from the street
Happy New Year community!
This photo is of a sign I hung up a few years ago and serendipitously bumped into this week on my first shift as a school observer at an elementary school near me.
Last fall I was trained to be a street monitor, walking neighborhoods at higher risk of targeted ICE activity for two-hour shifts. During the training we learned about our rights as an observer and our neighbor's rights. We wear whistles and are trained in the SALUTE method for reporting ICE activity to the local Rapid Response number. While targeted ICE activity in San Francisco has been minimal, the increased ICE presence in other large cities has us preparing here.
This week as I walked up the street to the school and saw my sign on the fence, I had the feeling of being in the right place. That feeling rushing over me a second time as I met the anonymous person from Signal who would orient me to this schools protocols— turns out to be an incredible woman I worked with years ago.
As she walked me around the school, identified the priority entrances, pointed out the bus stops, introduced me to school staff and a neighborhood dog who enjoys being petted by volunteers, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude for how much I've learned in the streets, but particularly in this last year.
I've often thought of these lessons from hanging art without permission as unexpected gifts. Over the last year of protests and organizing, I've learned more lessons from the street.
I've learned:
it's empowering to understand my right to assemble in public places and my neighbors' rights to refuse.
fear is a response and courage is a choice. I can recognize my fear, shake hands with it, and choose courageously in the moment.
I don't have to love everything about an event or action. My job is to show up and contribute, to learn, not to critique.
Iif we can't figure out how to get along and how to work together in low-stakes events then we will fail at higher stakes ones
I'part of showing up with each other is learning each person's fears, preferences and risk tolerance.There are many roles and we work best when we know each other.
I'm glad to have grown my habits of observation and noticing and skills of being connected and abiding.
What are you noticing these days?
Take good care,
Shannon