This week I am officially launching a project: 100 Evanston Stories: Navigating Through Trumpism.
I aim to collect and share 100 stories about how the local Evanston community (where I live) helps its members resist Trump and his enablers and work toward a different future. Real stories. Told by folks who live in Evanston about what they really do to navigate these batshit times.
My Evanston neighbors, friends, places we go to, activities we engage in, are all valuable resources in discovering ways to resist Trumpism or just find a moment of hope. I want to make these moments more visible by sharing stories (through this site) and writing about what I discover.
The stories are small moments: Think about the past several weeks and your personal connections within the Evanston community (people, places, activities, etc.) and then tell me about a time when the community helped you navigate the current unsettling times.
The main project page – 100 Evanston Stories: Navigating Through Trumpism – includes more details and instructions on how to submit a story. Tell me your story if you live in Evanston, or send the link to people you know who live here. Post the link to Evanston-oriented online groups.
The main project page includes details about why I am doing this, how it works, and what to expect. Key to know: Stories are collected by answering story prompts in a Google form. Each prompt has an open text field so folks can write as they wish. It should take a few minutes. All submissions are anonymous.
Nudging the first folks to share stories is key. I know that – when others read real stories – it will generate momentum.
Here’s a bit of the backstory on the project.
It came to me after struggling with the tension I note in Working multiple tracks to hold light for others: I’m thinking about doing community-listening work that will have long-term impact (a positive thing) but meanwhile my house is burning. What might I do, now, using skills I have, to contribute something meaningful and short term?
I did a small experiment with 10 Evanston friends. I asked them (via Google form) if they could tell me about the kind of moment I was hoping to discover. If I got 3 stories, I would move ahead with the project. I got 7 (from 8 total respondents). Each of the 7 stories was a moment of inspiration or action.
So now I’m off and running.
The 100 Evanston Stories project is also a kind of experiment. 100 short stories feels like it’s enough to explore the range of moments that people actually see as meaningful in navigating these batshit times. I have no idea what I will discover. But I know it will lead me somewhere interesting.
Maybe it will help make folks realize they are not the only ones who experience or appreciate these moments of community connection. Or it may help generate new ideas to support or expand the momentum. Either way, what I know is: Doing stuff leads to doing more stuff.
Other news. My focus on networking to find an opportunity to do Evanston-based community listening has paid off. It led to being invited to attend a meeting of Environmental Justice Evanston. I’m excited about the work they do and who they are (a small group but all amazing folks). They also deeply understand community listening and want to continue improving those efforts. I’ll be writing more about this, as it develops.
The photographs which accompany these posts are taken by me, and show different settings and views of Evanston (where I live). It is a visual reminder that this is the most important setting for belonging and contributing to community; my neighborhood, my city.
Jeff Merrell 