Community listening
My eyes are now tuned to see power in the ways in which we organize to do work. Sometimes power is visibly obvious to everyone involved. Sometimes it is more nuanced. Often, it exists in ways that seem reasonable and rational. Until we start to question underlying assumptions; why is
Thinking out loud
I don't remember exactly when I first read Rachel Carson's Silent Spring. But it must have been in high school (1972 or '73), probably during my days as a budding young journalist and editor of my high school newspaper. That was when I first started
Environmental equity
This is my updated effort to craft an overview of environmental justice - what it is, what it means in Evanston, and potential paths for the future. What do we mean by environmental justice? Environmental justice recognizes that our history of racial discrimination leads to current and on-going environmental, health
Environmental equity
I recently attended two half-day working sessions of the Evanston Environmental Justice (EJ) Coalition. The sessions were designed to inform a strategy for this new organization as it moves into 2026. I was geeked for a number of reasons. This was front-row observation of community coalition building with
Protest
In January when I started this journey to connect more deeply with my local community, I could not have imagined we'd be where we are today. In my little space in the world, everyone feels the impact of ICE immigration kidnappings and the collateral damage it leaves. People
Community listening
My former teaching partner and friend Teresa Torres is off on a new venture - the Just Now Possible podcast, where Teresa takes a dive deep with folks who use AI as part of the digital products they design and build. A recent episode focused on ZenCity, which provides an AI-
Community listening
Last night I attended the 4th (and final) workshop that is part of Evanston's Environmental Equity Investigation (EEI). (See past post about EEI: The limitation of relying on a single style of community meetings) I'm thinking about this event in terms of lessons to be learned
Protest
Today was No Kings protest day. Evanston folks showed up, once again. What I saw and heard at this event was a little different from past protests. Not that the speeches or the signs were different, But what I personally saw when I looked out at the 1000+ folks gathered
Design
I was reminded of this lesson about how organizations often overlook their most powerful lever - building relationships - in the span of a few hours this past week. The power comes when folks get to know other folks, and importantly know what those folks know and care about. Those relationships and
Environmental equity
Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the Evanston Environmental Justice Conversation Series, co-sponsored by a coalition of civic and religious organizations (including Environmental Justice Evanston, a group which I am now supporting). Keynote speakers and panelists were folks with deep personal and professional experience in the impacts of
Thinking out loud
A few notes and quotes from recent readings and research. The thread here is the power - and necessity - of connectedness. Environmental justice pioneer Hazel Johnson The arc of the story of environmental justice pioneer Hazel Johnson is instructive. As is the maturity of the organization she founded in 1979 - People
Thinking out loud
I just returned from a 10 day trip, with my wife Jamie, along the coast of Maine. Our first visit to the state. In the final days of our stay I remarked that every Mainer we encountered just seemed so...nice. "I think they're just happy,"