by Rachael Jeck
Register Her Co-Founder & Executive Director
Community has taken on new meaning for me and my family in the aftermath of the Palisades fire. Community is everything. The loss of our entire neighborhood and community compounded the devastation of the loss of our home of 21 years. Community connects us and makes us feel grounded. Sound cliche? I would have thought so before becoming a “fire survivor.” But I can tell you that everyone I’ve spoken to who was affected by the Palisades or Eaton fires shares this sentiment.
I couldn’t have predicted how important community and community activism would be in the post-fire recovery journey. This piece is not about my experience with the Palisades fire per se; it is about the power of community activism that I’ve benefitted from and witnessed first-hand. As Palisadians, we had to fight to gain reentry to the neighborhood, figure out debris removal, and contend with insurance coverage and permitting issues in order to begin the rebuilding process. I’ve seen that elected leaders (sometimes under duress) listen and respond to pressure from their constituents to take specific actions or reverse course. Again, I don’t want this to be an essay about the Palisades fire. Suffice it to say, we’ve seen significant policy decisions from the Governor’s to the Mayor’s office to legislation introduced by our elected legislators, directly resulting from citizen input.
What’s more, community activism is not just about the power of individuals working together for a common purpose; it is also about the individuals within the community who step up as leaders, devoting themselves to organizing collective action to have a voice and impact. I’ve watched ordinary neighbors become town leaders and community activists, some seemingly overnight. And as I mentioned, I’ve seen important policy decisions enacted and retracted because of our community’s collective voice.
My professional life is focused on empowering women in their communities to become more civically engaged as a means to an end. Experiencing the power of community activism on issues of vital importance to my family has been inspiring and eye-opening. It is so easy to become cynical about our ability as individuals to create change when the news is rife with stories about billionaires pulling all the strings at the top levels of government. When individuals come together for a united purpose, “local” officials (at the City, County, and State levels) are forced to listen. These local officials recognize that we elect them and that they are in office to represent us. Moreover, I believe that most of these officials run for office because they care so much about their communities and want to represent them and see them thrive.
One of the few silver linings of this catastrophe has been a deepened sense of community and recognition of its importance, as well as clarity in my vision for Register Her’s mission to empower women to mobilize and become active leaders and voices in their communities. Civic engagement is a pretty dry and dull term, but when you see it in action, it is a sight to behold.
Comments