Poverty & Safety Net
Article

There is no Other anymore: our community engagement and racial equity work

Zulma Zabala
Senior Fellow, Community and Racial Equity
Additional Contributors
No items found.
June 6, 2022
Read time:
Download Fact Sheets
Register now
Share this resource
Subscribe to our Newsletter
By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download this as a PDF

Ninety days ago, I left my role as President-CEO of the historical and effective East End Neighborhood House. After two decades working in the Buckeye neighborhood, the assignment became clear, I wanted to elevate the voice, value, and engagement of our community to be part of policy and advocacy efforts. The opportunity to serve as a Senior Fellow for Community and Racial Equity with the Center for Community Solutions fit the call perfectly.

 After two decades working in the Buckeye neighborhood, the assignment became clear, I wanted to elevate the voice, value, and engagement of our community to be part of policy and advocacy efforts.

I began with check-ins, I call my one-on-one with community members, known and new friends, “Charlas,” these are meant to be familiar chats where we share our truths without judgment. The goal is to define where we are, and how to move towards the best solutions around the things we care for collectively. Sharing these truths with the community will be an ongoing effort, but we will also check-in between dialogues, and invite you into what we have learned. These moments will allow us to define possible solutions.

Meeting people where they are

Our neighbors tell us that while they appreciate the accessibility and immediacy of our efforts of communication via social media, there are serious setbacks with this approach. COVID has clearly revealed that not all are able to access the internet for awareness and immediacy. The community exclaims, “please do not give up on coming to us in person, and into our communities. Let us know who the advocates are, share with us the findings and efforts so that we too can engage in action. We need your ongoing presence!”

 Policies in areas adjacent to the organization’s mission are now becoming a focus because these also affect the lives of our team members: how do we show up as a team in this new reality?

Simultaneously, my new team members, who have actively been in advocacy for communities, have themselves experienced the value of also becoming a more diverse team over the past few years. Now policies and advocacy the team works on not only affect “other” or “vulnerable” communities but our team members. When an elected official asserted that maternal health issues are not that serious in their city because it only affects Black women, my colleague—a white woman, a mother who is pregnant—urgently responds on behalf of her Black Women co-workers. Policies in areas adjacent to the organization’s mission are now becoming a focus because these also affect the lives of our team members: how do we show up as a team in this new reality?

Policy and partnerships in the neighborhoods

We at the Center for Community Solutions continue in our historical commitment to advocacy, but we are also aware that the journey may be redefined. I am ready and committed to my new role and help our team travel unchartered paths. We have made critical strides on behalf of seniors, parents, and children in our policy work. We will be coming to you via digital and neighborhood visits to let YOU know how our work can be applied in our communities, to reach our neighbors where they are. We also know of new areas where our systems and leadership could do better, and we will leverage those relationships when appropriate.

 There are organizations, leaders, and advocates right in the neighborhood that we want to partner with to help the collective reach the best outcomes.

There are organizations, leaders, and advocates right in the neighborhood that we want to partner with to help the collective reach the best outcomes. I will be calling you, stopping by and on occasions hosting a session for our shared efforts to do better for the value of the Us. If you do not know, my name is Zulma and I am coming with my Ubuntu spirit to let you know that what matters to you, matters to me. Together we can do more. If you do know me, you already know… I am because we are, so let’s go! Ubuntu!

Download Fact Sheets

Geauga County

Download

Lake County

Download

Cuyahoga County

Download

Thompson

Download

South Russell

Download

Russell

Download

Parkman

Download

Newbury

Download

Munson

Download

Montville

Download

Middlefield Township

Download

Middlefield Village

Download

Huntsburg

Download

Hambden

Download

Claridon

Download

Chester

Download

Chardon Township

Download

Chardon City

Download

Burton

Download

Bainbridge

Download

Auburn

Download

Willowick

Download

Willoughby Hills

Download

Willoughby

Download

Wickliffe

Download

Waite Hill

Download

Timberlake

Download

Painesville City

Download

Mentor-on-the-Lake

Download

Mentor

Download

Madison

Download

Lakeline

Download

Kirtland Hills

Download

Kirtland

Download

Eastlake

Download

Concord

Download

Highland Heights 2018

Download

Garfield Heights 2018

Download

Fairview Park 2018

Download

Euclid 2018

Download

East Cleveland 2018

Download

Cleveland 2018

Download

Cleveland Heights 2018

Download

Cities in Cuyahoga County Combined 2018

Download

Brooklyn 2018

Download

Brook Park 2018

Download

Broadview Heights 2018

Download

Brecksville 2018

Download

Berea 2018

Download

Bedford 2018

Download

Bedford Heights 2018

Download

Beachwood 2018

Download

Bay Village 2018

Download

Westlake 2018

Download

Warrensville Heights 2018

Download

University Heights 2018

Download

Strongsville 2018

Download

South Euclid 2018

Download

Solon 2018

Download

Shaker Heights 2018

Download

Seven Hills 2018

Download

Rocky River 2018

Download

Richmond Heights 2018

Download

Pepper Pike 2018

Download

Parma 2018

Download

Parma Heights 2018

Download

Olmsted Falls 2018

Download

North Royalton 2018

Download

North Olmsted 2018

Download

Middleburg Heights 2018

Download

Mayfield Heights 2018

Download

Maple Heights 2018

Download

Lyndhurst 2018

Download

Lakewood 2018

Download

Independence 2018

Download

Woodmere

Download

Westlake

Download

Warrensville Heights

Download

Walton Hills

Download

Valley View

Download

University Heights

Download

Strongsville

Download

South Euclid

Download

Shaker Heights

Download

Seven Hills

Download

Rocky River

Download

Richmond Heights

Download

Pepper Pike

Download

Parma Heights

Download

Orange

Download

Olmsted Falls

Download

Olmsted

Download

Oakwood

Download

North Royalton

Download

North Randall

Download
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download report

Subscribe to our newsletter

5 Things you need to know arrives on Mondays with the latest articles, events, and advocacy developments in Ohio

Explore the fact sheets

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique.

No Related Fact Sheets

Explore Topics

Browse articles, research, and testimony.

Poverty & Safety Net
Article

ARPA 3 Years later: Lessons learned in Ohio

Dylan Armstrong
November 18, 2024
Poverty & Safety Net
Article

New Human Services Chamber launching in December

Emily Campbell
November 17, 2024
Maternal & Infant Health
Article

Neighborhood Family Practice partners with Birthing Beautiful Communities

Taneisha Fair
November 11, 2024
Poverty & Safety Net
Article

U.S. Census to halt publication of state-level hardship data

John R. Corlett
November 11, 2024