The District government hasn't had the best track record when it comes to community engagement in Ward 8. I've addressed this before in a previous post.  At times there seems to be this divide (either real or imagined) between city agencies and the Ward 8 residents that they serve. 


In my opinion, part of the problem is that there are so few people who live east of the river who work in positions of leadership in District government. It is very telling (and a little demoralizing) to sit in a meeting with organizations (including DC agencies) discussing important Ward 8 issues (like unemployment and economic development) and realizing that not one of them lives in our community.  I think that some of the missteps we have seen in Ward 8 can be tracked back to the lack of representation  in the  decision  making positions. To quote Boyz n the Hood, "Either they don't know, don't show, or don't care about what goes on in the hood."

I don't think it is as malicious as a lack of caring but perhaps a lack of perspective?

Could Metergate have been avoided?

You can't Google the East of the River experience.  My blog may bridge part of the gap but it doesn't come close to filling the void. East of the river engagement is an "on the ground"  and "in the streets" type of operation.  It involves many different perspectives and skill-sets (and maybe a confrontation or two).  The strategies and tools that may be successful in Columbia Heights may not translate in Congress Heights. You can't expect a community that has been disenfranchised for a generation to come running at the first mention of a community meeting. It will take more than free hotdogs to get people excited about the Saint Elizabeths project. And you can not,  for the love of all things holy,  continue to engage people to do community outreach east of the river who do not live or work east of the river.

Umm..

I can't count how many times I have been asked to advise (for free) paid outreach consultants from outside of Ward 8 (and sometimes the District).   Not only is it  impractical (imagine the time that is wasted trying to get up to speed)  but  it's very insensitive to those of us who have invested the time, money, and energy into Ward 8. There are a lot of capable organizations and consultants right here in Ward 7 and Ward 8. As Ward 8 projects get off the ground (like Saint Elizabeths) we should see more genuine (notice I said "genuine") local businesses and consultants being engaged, not less. You need the right tools for the right job and some of those tools should be local. Perhaps with all the issues that are facing East of the River particularly hard (like high rates of  unemployment) it is time to consider a more coordinated East of the River effort like a temporary government agency made up of Ward 7 and Ward 8 consultants. 


Let me be clear, Ward 8 is not perfect and our residents and community leaders can (and do) benefit from outside collaboration but we also have an idea of what works in our community. Where an outside consultant may assume, a local resident has first-hand experience.  There is a reason that some Ward 8 residents chuckle when they hear some of the ideas for the Saint Elizabeths project.

Despite this disconnect I do think some DC agencies and their representatives are on the right track when it comes to engaging the community and local resources for East of the River projects. The ability of some agency staff to be proactive, innovative and inclusive sends them to the head of the class when it comes to community engagement. Over the next few weeks I am going to try to highlight some of those instances where thinking outside of the box (or within the Ward) is having a positive impact.

Hopefully this will encourage others to do the same.  Consider this more free (but not really) advice.

Stay tuned.