Progress: Derailment, Disappointment & Determination

      Sometimes progress, from the outside view, doesn't look as though it is occurring.  I think that pretty much sums up the Martin Middle School photojournalism project.  Our team has had its own hurdles to jump as we have conflicting schedules and unexpected events, which often interfere. We have all experienced frustration of  trying to coordinate times to gather to work on the project.  Just add the dynamics of a school to that - rules, regulations, testing, and miscommunication among the staff.

      BUT, today was the day that we were going to meet with the kids, get their cameras, and talk about the pictures they took.  The best laid plans of men, or in this case, women!  We arrived at the school anticipating a wonderful day!   We knew going in that our regular contact person was out, but had made arrangements for us to meet the academic advisor.  We checked in and headed to the library to meet her and the kids.  We sat and sat.  Finally, after 45 minutes, she arrived and we chatted about our needs/plans with the kids.  The kids came in....no cameras..well, one young man had remembered his cameras.  The other girls had not received the cameras and two of the other kids had left theirs at home.

      So, derailment followed by discouragement followed by despair.  Not really, but it could have been that way.  I dug to the depth of my positive thinking today and reminisced, once again, about how we learn the most in the difficult things.  As frustrating as it is spending so much time on something that never seems to come to fruition, it isn't a life or death situation.  One would only hope this is the worse thing in life they have to face.

      I am reminded that we desire to produce a piece of work for the school and to have something for them; however, it is quite possible that won't happen.  What will happen though is five women will learn more about themselves, developing a project, working with others and the challenging experiences we encountered.  What has struck me over the past few months has been the disjointed and disconnected communication.  It is interesting how you can develop relationships with people in a community and yet when the players change, often you have to go back to the beginning.  I fee this has been a significant challenge in our semester at Martin.  The players have changed and we move forward rebuilding and gaining ground.  What will that look like in terms of a photojournalism project? I am unsure.  For me, it is a reminder that we can plan but we have to be sensitive to remind ourselves that we are not in control.

   

      The most difficult part of today was not about the kids not remembering to bring their cameras; it was about one camera we had to give and two girls who needed cameras.  Trying to make that decision was excruciating.  The teacher finally chose a number and one of the girls walked away with a camera.  Truly, it broke my heart.  We will bring her a camera on Monday but it made me think about exclusion and how it happens in the most subtle ways.  And then it happens in bigger ways and impacts the lives of children, families, and neighborhoods. We fight for the rights of others, battling against oppression and then in an instant, you can become the oppressor.  It is really scary when you consider how easily this can happen.  Lessons learned.

Project: Bumps in the Road

      After months of developing relationships, making phone calls and writing emails, it appeared that we were finally experiencing a breakthrough with continuing the oral history/photo journalism project.  I could hardly believe it. All of the work and hope we had put into this oral history/photojournalism project and it was finally happening!  So much excitement~

      Kasey, Alex, and I spent our class time preparing the cameras and a scavenger hunt for the kids.  We wanted to provide direction for them as they took pictures but also make it fun.  It needed to appear less like homework and something exciting that they would want to be involved in.  With that complete, we were ready to meet the kids.  Materials prepared, packed and ready to go, it was time to meet the kids.

      Martin Middle School is probably not unique and may possibly be like most middle schools; however, upon arriving, it can at times feel more like entering a prison.  Gaining access to the kids, easier said than done.  Every door is locked and tightly secure.  You ring the bell, explain to the secretary why you are there and who you want to see.  So different from my experience as a child and as a mother.  Upon entering, the school has this sweet spirit and yet, police presence, chaos in the halls, laughter, pushing, and teachers talking loudly over the noise of children's chatter.

      Meeting with the kids: some of them are excited, inquisitive and curious about the project.  They are eager to get started and then there are those that well, quite frankly, are not that interested. We give them options to do the project or decline.  It doesn't  work to have kids doing something that doesn't interest them.  For those who stayed, out of 20 kids, we ended up with around seven to ten.  A few were on the fence but took the cameras and said they would think about it.  For those who remained, tons of questions, discussion on what they were going to take pictures of, and this enthusiasm to be a part of something that lasts.  It was encouraging and hopefully their excitement will be contagious!

     As I left the school that day, I thought about the next two years.  I will be in grad school somewhere and I can only hope that others will come along through PROJECT and the Longhorn Center for Community Engagement to work with these kids, to be a part of their lives, and to model longevity, sustainability, and commitment.  

     This is where each individual can do their part and hopefully inspire others to do what they can, to make a difference in the lives of a community, in particular, the children.  We have no idea when we begin something the impact that it can have on others.  I hope this will be a project that will impact these kids lives in the years to come.  What starts here truly can change the world......

   

Gentrification: Across the Globe, Austin and the UT Community

      Seeing the communities of Mueller, Holly and Marlo Heights in person, you can see the similarities, differences, and possibly what is in store for the future.  The three communities share rebuilding, growth and positive and negative change.  It is, in many ways, ones perspective.  For me, Mueller seemed so sterile and boring.  Everything looks the same, so perfect, unlike who we are as individuals, unique and wonderful.  Supposedly an affordable community, but you have to wonder if it is affordable for the people who are former residents.  Affordable is a relative term.  Is the average cost of housing in Mueller affordable to everyone?  Certainly not.

      From all appearances, it would seem that Marlo Heights is undergoing changes but maybe in a less obtrusive way.  The new housing is apparent and seems to blend in and not stand out as much as Mueller; however, it is still happening.  Change, regardless of how you view it, is occurring.

      Holly Street appears to be in the early stages of gentrification.  The new homes are large and most of them don't fit in with the older architecture.  The massive home size is offensive and overbearing.  The average price of a home in the Holly Neighborhood in 2010 was $192,000.00.  The new homes in Holly today are selling for upwards of $300,000. - $400,000.00.  It is hard to imagine the current residents will be able pay the taxes as their home values increase.

     With the exception of Mueller, the neighborhoods are in a food desert.  The convenience and affordability of healthy options are scarce.  In reality, there are minimal options for grocery shopping.  As we see new development, will it include accessible, affordable food options for those individuals who are on a fixed or limited income.

      Looking across the globe, the community in Johannesburg appears to be thriving and you see growth, development, affordable housing, and yet, as the author says the area is being gentrified but shows drastically different versions of "normal" coexisting within blocks of each other.  Therein, I believe, is the greater problem.  How do we clean up crime, beautify an area, provide adequate housing that is affordable to an already struggling people, and not isolate ourselves from others?

     I believe the University of Texas can have an impact in these communities.  The first step, as we know, is relationship building.  We have an opportunity to get into the minds and hearts of Holly, Marlo, and Colony Park.  Talk to the residents, show an interest in their well-being, ask questions, listen to their answers, show concern, and be flexible.  As relationships are built and understanding on both parts is evident, then we can have a positive impact.

     The involvement of the university can go beyond that.  We have a group of bright, diverse students within the walls of UT.  Send them into the schools to mentor, to show others what can be achieved, let them use their interests to train and equip others and let them be a role model for children and adults.  Help them grow gardens, provide transportation, and be the hands and feet they need to have their world, as they describe needs, blossom.   We also have a great resource with the Conflict Mediation Center.  Use them as facilitators as developers and community leaders sit down to articulate the differences in needs, wants and desires.

     PROJECT 2014 has a great opportunity ahead to help the neighborhood. We can demonstrate who we are through clean-up, beautifying and getting to know the but mainly through listening to what they see as needs.  Let's take this opportunity to show them we care and are concerned about them!  I am convinced we can have a sustainable program by working along side Holly Street residents.   Because what starts here really can change the world....