This Week @ NewComm: THE "WHY" NOT THE "HOW"

Dear NewComm Community,

I hope this message finds you well. As we continue navigate our journey in building this organization, I wanted to share with you a personal insight I've had recently – the importance of articulating the "why" of our work.

As an English teacher deeply passionate about our literary science framework, I have always found great joy in sharing the intricate details of how we scientifically approach the reading of BIPOC literature for social justice. The power of our methods, the richness of our analyses – these are essential elements of what we do. However, I have come to realize that while the "how" is undoubtedly significant, it is the "why" that truly drives our purpose and impact.

This revelation reminds me of the iconic keynote addresses by Apple when they unveil their groundbreaking products. While they do delve into the technical aspects, such as the power of the M3 chip, the heart of their presentation is the storytelling. They are primarily concerned with conveying why their product matters and what users will gain from it. In many ways, our Literary Science framework is our M3 chip, but our hardware lies in the transformation of our learners into social entrepreneurs.

Our mission is to cultivate resilient individuals who actively engage with the natural ebbs and flows of life. We aim to nurture minds that are constantly thinking about how to tinker with and improve faulty systems. Furthermore, we aspire to broaden their worldviews beyond their immediate communities, emphasizing the profound significance of travel in this endeavor.

Our study of literature serves a pivotal purpose – it allows our learners to witness how BIPOC characters are impacted by the very same flawed systems we aim to challenge. Through our research, we gain insights into the ways these community members are affected and how they engage in tinkering with these systems.

This evolution of our organization has been a deeply fascinating journey for me, and I am immensely grateful to our dedicated board members who continue to push me to be better. Their unwavering commitment to our mission and their encouragement to focus on the "why" has opened up new horizons for our work.

In the coming months, you can expect to see more emphasis on the "why" behind what we do. We will continue to refine our storytelling to illustrate the transformative impact of our literary science framework on learners and communities alike.

As always, thank you for your ongoing support!

Warm regards,

Chidi

Founder and CEO, NewComm PROJECT

RESOURCES THAT HAVE INFORMED OUR WORK THIS WEEK:

The Power of Decommodifying Survival: A Read

• "Capitalism relies on maintaining an artificial scarcity of essential goods and services (like housing, healthcare, transport, etc), through processes of enclosure and commodification. We know that enclosure enables monopolists to raise prices and maximize their profits [...] But it also has another effect. When essential goods are privatized and expensive, people need more income than they would otherwise require to access them. [...]There is a way out of this: by decommodifying essential goods and services, we can eliminate artificial scarcity and ensure public abundance, de-link human well-being from growth, and reduce growthist pressures. This approach also has several other direct social and ecological benefits. For one, it can have a strong positive impact on human welfare." / Jason Hickel

African-American, Feminism & Friendship: Sula - A Novel by Toni Morrison

• "The novel, Sula by Toni Morrison is not only about racial, sexual, and cultural binaries that trap us, but it’s also about the failure of the imagination and the consequences of this nefarious tragedy! Find your creative path and radically dwell inside of it! [...] “In a way, her strangeness, her naiveté, her craving for the other half of her equation was the consequence of an idle imagination. Had she paints, or clay, or knew the discipline of the dance, or strings, had she anything to engage her tremendous curiosity and her gift for metaphor, she might have exchanged the restlessness and preoccupation with whim for an activity that provided her with all she yearned for. And like an artist with no art form, she became dangerous.” ―?Toni Morrison,?Sula [...]" / Leslie-Ann Murray

"The Cure for Gentrification Is Solidarity": An Opinion

• “Adams defined #gentrification as the “influx of more affluent residents and #businesses [which] often causes the #displacement of people and businesses that have already been there.” At one point in the conversation, Adams asked if the mere fact of food co-op success might unwittingly create a situation that causes gentrification. The consensus: no, provided that an intentional approach to #communitybuildingwas employed and solidarity was placed at the center of co-op organizing. Each participant shared their story of how they embodied this approach to prevent the gentrification of the communities they served […]” / Nonprofit Quarterly

How Community-Based Public Space Can Build Civic Trust: Lessons from Akron

• "As in so many disinvested, majority Black neighborhoods, the scars of history run deep. In the 1930s and ’40s, banks and federal government officials redlined Summit Lake—a neighborhood named for its beautiful glacial lake—making it virtually impossible for anyone to qualify for a mortgage in the neighborhood or for any property owner to qualify for financing to make improvements. In the 1960s, [...] the city’s Black business district was devastated. This was one of many such projects that displaced hundreds of thousands of Black Americans nationwide. Ongoing neglect and isolation led to entrenched, concentrated poverty and a growing distrust of civic leaders. [...] That changed when a team from Reimagining the Civic Commons decided to reinvigorate public spaces in Akron’s systemically disinvested neighborhoods, including Summit Lake. The result of their work is more places for people to gather and experience nature, increased social cohesion, restored civic trust, and perhaps most importantly, community development that benefits all residents. [...]" / Nonprofit Quarterly

FEATURED CONTENT:

Check out our documentary on the launch of our pilot program if you haven't already!

INSIDE NEWCOMM:

On Nov. 21st, our founder & CEO, Chidi Asoluka will be delivering a keynote address and a workshop session at the Thinkathon – the MINTvernetzt innovation conference at the Bauwerk.io | macevent GmbH in Cologne, Germany! ???

The discussion will revolve around all things?NewComm?and our "literary science" framework. It's a true honor to be sharing this platform with?It Gets Better Project?and other projects dedicated to building exceptional learning environments for underserved communities. ??

In case you happen to be in Cologne: The day will be filled with innovative workshops, thought-provoking panel discussions and various other types of informal exchanges. Register Now: https://lnkd.in/enjp9sh8 ??

More updates will follow this event - Stay on the lookout! ??

HOW TO JOIN IN

Donate!

Email Us

Meet with our Founder, Chidi!

Thank you for reading! Feel free to reach out to us?HERE?if you have any questions. We would love to hear from you. We’ll see you again next week!