Civic Identity

Locating self in community

Olivia Bohlmann | Ruth Kahssai | Sarah Hassan

While civic identity can be very simply described as a way of "finding yourself in community," the process of actually discovering one's own civic identity is something that takes time and a lot of self analyzation. Civic identity is often a combination of passion, knowledge, and compassion. The people we had the opportunity of meeting in our organizations inspired each of us through their own civic duties, and brought us closer to finding each of our own. By the end of the trip, each of us had clear goals for what we want to do within our communities, and how we can do so. Most importantly, discovering the importance of each civic duty taught us the meaning of serving with others, and not for.

Learning through example

All three of these wonderful people were volunteers or directors with the Girls Inc Youth Farm just outside of downtown Memphis. Lauren (on the left) grew up in Memphis and was apart of Girls Inc from a young age, and even after graduating form the program at 18, continues to volunteer at the farm and lead classes about nutrition for the girls that farm. Her dedication to Girls Inc, as well as her passion for fresh food and nutrition was inspirational and a true symbol for what civic duty really means.

Through our time spent at the youth farm, we learned how to better connect with our team members and become a stronger, more connected group.

Learning through engagement

Our time at the girls inc city program taught us a lot about the meaning of the work that girls inc does with each of its members. We met girls of various ages and from a variety of backgrounds and played games with them, learned about their dreams and goals, and what girls inc meant to them. A conversation with one of the directors of girls inc also informed us about the meaning of working in non profit and how important the goals are to them. We left feeling inspired and prepared to engage with non profits in our own communities.

Mid-South Peace & Justice

Founded in 1982, Mid-South Peace & Justice serves as an advocacy center in the community of Memphis. The group tackles and provides advocacy for issues such as homelessness/those experiencing homelessness, transit rights, and housing rights. These issues and the center's support are intersected with race, class, and gender, as many issues in areas like Memphis are. The center was for us and will continue to be an amazing example of civic identity. The center is for the community, by the community. Mid-South Peace & Justice works specifically for the community along side of the community. When telling us their philosophy, the director of the center, Brad, said that those in the community are the experts of their own situation. In the context of civic identity, your civic identity is based around your experiences and community. Mid-South Peace & Justice empowers those in the Memphis community to take a part in fighting for their rights. Whether it be by canvassing, working with the mayor, or peaceful protests, Mid-South Peace & Justice engages community members to take hold of their civic identity.

Importance of civic engagement

Pictured on the left is a sign that was on display at the center. The sign lists the names of those murdered through police brutality in the last few years. While these names are not the only ones, and will unfortunately not be the last, it reminds us and the community the importance of civic identity. We owe it to our community, to other allies, and to ourselves to be engaged with the community because others rely on us--or even ourselves.

Community through art

Civic identity is also tied into the environment created. The art on the left, "No Papers No Fear", welcomes many intersecting identity and roots itself as a potential safe place for those that come into the center.

Taking part in civic identity

While the first part of visiting the center was learning about the center itself and the issues facing Memphis, the second part was service through civic engagement. For our service we went canvassing for Memphis transit rights. The Memphis Bus Riders Union allows those within the community to organize for better transit rights and bus services for Memphis, specifically those within the working class. The Union, which works out of the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center, fights for things such as fair bus fare, the opening/reopening of bus stops, and extended times of service. In areas such as Memphis, gentrification place a large role in worker rights, as the majority of workplaces are not within close distance of residential areas. With Memphis being 60% black, transit rights and being able to reliably get to work are related to civil rights. Members of the Bus Riders Union,and therefore members of the community, advocate for their own bus rights as apart of their civic identity. As apart of our service, we went around to the most heavily used bus stops around town and canvased flyers to those getting on an off the bus.

What we can learn from Mid-South about civic identity

While the issue we canvassed for in Memphis was not directly tied to our Iowa City community, all of us left with a feeling of hope in community organizing and the power of people. While Brad detailed the injustices those in Memphis, specifically blacks in Memphis, faced, there was always a tinge of hope--the hope stemming from the community. Those in Memphis, and all of us in any community, have identity rooted in the community. For many, this identity is also tethered by discrimination and oppression. For those in Memphis and the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center, civic identity is uprooting the oppression through engagement and empowerment. And as allies, we can help uproot understanding that the community is the expert of their own identity and experiences. Many times issues just seem hopeless. But Mid-South Peace & Justice proved that through passionate and educated civic engagement, grassroots efforts are possible.

History of Civic Identity

Having the wonderful opportunity to visit Memphis, a city that is so historically rich, we got to learn about influential figures whose civic identity was heroic, and literally changed the world.

One of the most crucial examples of civic identity and engagement in the history of Memphis is the Memphis sanitation strike in February 1968. What fueled this strike was two Black garbage collectors, Echol Cole and Robert Walker, were crushed to death by a malfunctioning truck.

Angered by the city's neglect and the abuse of Black workers, 1300 Black men from the Memphis Department of Public Works went on a strike demanding better safety standards and a decent wage.

The night before his assassination, MLK told a group of striking sanitation workers in Memphis, TN, "We’ve got to give ourselves to this struggle until the end. Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point in Memphis. We’ve got to see it through."

And of course, we cannot talk about civic identity in Memphis without talking about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

When Dr. King heard about the sanitation workers' strike, he felt a great sense of duty to stand with the workers. He traveled from Atlanta to Memphis to assist in giving voice to the Black sanitation workers.

This is a photo we took at the National Civil Rights Museum. This is a quote by Ella Baker, a prominent grassroots Civil Rights organizer. She established the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) with Martin Luther King Jr.

Locating one's civic Identity has been at the very core of challenging the status quo, initiating dialogue, sparking awareness, and birthing revolutions. It stems from a sense of duty and responsibility towards others. It requires critical thinking, empathy, and courage. It means to recognize yourself and your capabilities and extend that to the world for its betterment.

Google Sites

Report abuse