Good Jobs Now

Well, it happened.

The day finally came. I finished my master's program and I am now an MSW! This past year has flown by, and I've been so blessed to have spent the last 12 months in the delightful city of Ann Arbor, Michigan, where the stores are hip, the coffee is freshly roasted, and the people are socially conscious. I am thankful for wonderful friends, connections with some hard-core social activists out there changing the world, a quality education, and my own personal success of toughing it up and going back to school. But, alas, my time in this cozy college town is coming to a close.

As a firm believer in living one's life in seasons, I am pleased to announce I have started a new (albeit short) season of my career: I've accepted a job as a Field Organizer with a non-profit organization called Good Jobs Now doing organizing around social justice issues in conjunction with the upcoming election. We are talking to residents of Detroit about five main issues: better jobs and a living wage, affordable child care, long-term care for seniors, racial justice, and immigration reform. We are also encouraging folks to register to vote, because this year's crucial election is only two months away! (So if you're not registered, go to your local Secretary of State office today).

Over the next few months, my team will be planning events locally in the city to build momentum around these issues and empower people to create changes in their own communities. Everyone has something to contribute: whether it's leadership skills, a knack for organization, relationships to others, speaking or writing, or just commitment of time. We know that when people come together to fight for improvements in their city, sparks will fly. Things will happen. I'm privileged to be a part of this critical work to make Detroit a better and more just place for everyone.

For today, I will leave you with this nugget of inspiration from Lilla Watson, a renowned indigenous Australian activist:

"If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together."