As we ended day 3 yesterday, we prepared for what day 4 had in store. Little did we know that day 4 would be packed with new information, great resources, and 2 telephone conferences that reached several states away.
Day 4 began with a telephone conference with Jason Reece, from the Kirwan Institute (Ohio) which focuses on research centered around racial issues and structural racism within communities. Jason provided more concrete information regarding things in the community to consider and pay special attention to when preparing to structure a community benefits agreement while in the beginning stages of assessing the community.
Gail Suchman, an environmental law attorney in New York, who has experience in green design and community responsible investing issues, helped to solidify the procedures, over-arching goals, and focus areas for beginning the community coalitions to advocate for community benefits and navigated our group through the process of the CBA, and concluded by addressing issues that may/can arise even during the actual drafting of the CBA.
Taking what we had learned from the previous days and from the two telephone conferences today, we captured pictures and video footage of the “lack of community opportunities” in the Gulfport area–ranging from issues involving financial stability, housing, accessibility to necessities such as affordable grocery stores, health care facilities, and pharmacies (just to name a few–there are many community opportunities that are non-existent depending on what side of the port or corridors you happen to be on).
After today, I firmly believe that if CBAs are effective in other cities, Gulfport is no exception to the rule. The port expansion project could contribute the same amount of money to the Gulfport community, as the port project is anticipated to costs, and Gulfport citizens would still have major needs that were not met. Reality in Gulfport is revealing of lots of immediate needs.
As day 5 draws very near, there remains a desire to follow this project in the weeks, months and years to come along with hope that the citizens of Gulfport some day reap benefits that began to take shape this week. Track 3 has started the process for the “rain drops” to find the ground in Gulfport!
-Carrie
