This post is a little late because I forgot to finish and post it a few days ago, but hey-better late than never.
I have to say that I really enjoyed spending the day at ACE earlier this week. Although the personal stories had little to do with the ACE organization itself, I thought everyone had very valuable and different experiences to share. I especially enjoyed Nina's (even though it was very lengthy), as her unsuccessful endeavor in Delaware highlighted the importance of getting communities involved in environmental work, and giving them enough training so that they have a voice of their own when an actual lawyer is not present. I also found Colida (Spelling???) extremely interesting and inspiring. It was amazing to hear how she had gone from being a high school drop-out with a child to the well-spoken, confident director of ACE. To me, her story is truly the perfect example of what an individual can become with a little bit of confidence and willpower, regardless of background. The tour offered a lot of real insight into the kinds of environmental battles (and victories) that take place in less affluent communities such as Roxbury.
It was great to meet all of the kids at Worcester Roots on thursday. The ones that I spoke with (mainly Andrew and Gladys) were somewhat shy and hesitant at first, but after they opened up I feel like I got the chance to learn a lot about their individual lives and how they felt about the program. Although the meeting seemed a bit disorganized and in need of direction, I think this was somewhat natural, if only because Worcester Roots does not seem to have an actual leader; adults and teenagers of varying ages collaborate to make all of the decisions (a fact that I think is revolutionary and empowering to everyone). I am looking forward, however, to figuring out exactly what we will be doing alongside Worcester Roots, as I do not think we very firmly established that at the meeting. But I am sure we will figure it out-both the GIS mapping and the toxic soil busting itself both are intriguing to me.
Oh, and about the Tenant Advocacy Clinic on Monday...
There was little action during the first hour, but around eight o'clock a man named Adolfo came in bearing a 14-day notice. At first it was unclear why he had not paid his rent the previous month and his situation appeared bleak. When he brought up the terrible living conditions he had been forced to endure over the past year however, everything changed. Among his complaints were a lack of heat over the winter, no water in the toilet, and infestations of cockroaches and rats. Adolfo claimed that he had informed his landlord of these conditions several times, but the landlord clearly was not planning to do anything about it. With this information, we (or I should say William and Professor Goldin) directed Adolfo to the BC law firm, and also gave him the number for the Waltham Health Department so that he could have pictures taken of the damages in his apartment.
Although Fiona and I were not able to directly communicate with our client, Adolfo's case also made me quickly realize that many people are not entirely aware of even their basic rights, and that landlords who blatantly ignore housing laws and show little concern for the well being of their tenants are very real. I am looking forward to working at the clinic next week, and I hope that I get the chance to assist someone that I can better communicate with (and not make William do all the work).
See you all tomorrow!
Tyler B
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