Mobilizing People
I’ve been a volunteer for numerous organizations throughout my lifetime and the one thing I’ve noticed is that it seems much harder to get African Americans to volunteer than it is to engage other ethnic groups. Now, Blacks will donate money just as frequently as others, but getting them to pitch in and help out is another issue.
It could be that more African American adults have less free time than others due to numerous work and family commitments. I haven’t read anything that bears this out, but it’s a possibility. It could also be that African Americans don’t see the value in volunteering or that nonprofits don’t do a good job of reaching out to Blacks. Maybe they don’t advertise or have outreach programs in predominantly Black areas.
Honestly, I don’t know why it seems a smaller percentage of African Americans volunteer than do other ethnic groups.
What has your experience been? Feel free to chime in.
Jae
African American Student Involvement
As a member of my college's Student Union Advisory Board, I am frequently found recruiting volunteers to assist with the many activities that we orchestrate. While the volunteer work is typically fun and sociable, it can be very difficult to engage students in these activities. I have to ask a great number of students, and am frequently turned down by them.
I do, however, have a lot of luck engaging African American students in these activities. While others may claim to be too busy to volunteer for their school, most African American students that I approach respond with a smile and an open mind. Their willingness and enthusiasm is always very refreshing, especially in a college environment.
I often wonder what attribute makes African American students more likely to help out with these school functions. Their may be little to no racial connection, but my experience suggests otherwise. Perhaps the recent US presidential election has inspired African American students to actively participate in their school, more so than it has for students of other races.
Do you think there could be any racial connection? If so, what do you think it might be? Have you witnessed African American students making a noticeable effort to be involved in their respective institutions? Why do you think this is?
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Depending on your location in the United States, some people don't have any interaction with black families. They are tainted by the violence often portrayed in the media and subsequently have a negative image of Black Americans. During the last couple months I have befriended a lonely elderly Black gentleman who I spend time with on the weekends. This was my first exposure to Black families in a neighborhood that was primarily White and Asian.
It was only after spending a few weeks with them did I realize the extent of their involvement in the community. They volunteered in their church every week and their children were very educated and good-mannered. They are very gracious hosts and very open to other cultures.
I suspect that their strong commitment to religion is responsible for their devotion to the community. I believe African Americans are just as likely to help out in the community if properly encouraged. It is difficult for them to find an outlet in impoverished communities and a proper support group is necessary to encourage involvement in the community.
It has been my experience that African Americans tend to volunteer in the community with members of their own ethnic background. This could explain why mainstream society may not notice their involvement in the community.
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About two years ago I moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant, a historically African-American neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. This area, like so many in our community, was forever changed by the crack epidemic of the late 80s.
When I first arrived I carried many of the ugly stereotypes about Bed-Stuy created by the media and other outside sources, stereotypes that reflect a place the way it was twenty years ago, not the way it is now. Most of all, they were stereotypes that reflected a Black neighborhood full of regular people conducting normal lives as a dangerous ghetto devoid of humanity or hope.
I should've known better.
Shortly after settling into my apartment, I became involved with a local community garden. I was one of a few younger people (by that I mean 20s to 40s) working weekly to grow a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables which were then distributed to organizations in the surrounding area and, every once in a while, to ourselves.
In just the span of the past two years, the number of people my age working in the garden has quadrupled. With the exception of a young white girl, every worker, young and old, is Black. The garden was able to withstand decades of the neighborhood's troubled history, and many of my neighbors see the space as an enduring landmark and chance to make things better. Our crops are thriving.
Members of the garden even organized to meet with our district officials. By New York City law, the trash collection service is supposed to pick up recycling, but they were just throwing it in with the rest of the trash. We worked to get this problem fixed on our blocks.
The main point of this post is that I should've met with the people in my neighborhood before making such horrible assumptions based on stereotypes created by others. I would suggest that, if not a garden, everyone look for something in their community where they can forge this type of connection working to make things better.
Has anyone found a similar experience in a community garden or somewhere else?
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