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Syracuse United Neighbors

I work for Syracuse United Neighbors (SUN), a small, grassroots neighborhood organization in Central New York. When I was first asked to write this article, I was initially intimidated-I mean, wasn't this the kind of space where we learned The Dynamics of Organizing from Shel Trapp? What could I possibly have to say? My topic fell right into my lap. SUN has to hire a new organizer and interviews have already started. At the end of one such interview, an applicant asked me why I was an organizer.

I realized that it must be something other than the obvious reasons of long hours, low pay and stress out the wazoo, of course. I have never really stopped to think about what being a community organizer meant, other than the times I've tried to explain to my relatives what I do for a living-never achieving this feat in under 30 minutes. Why do I have to figure this out? At the risk of sounding like a Springsteen rock 'n' roller trying to preach to Outkast hip-hoppers, if I can explain what organizing means to me, maybe some young person will decide to give organizing a chance. Most organizers care deeply about social justice.

We are in this racket to change the world. All this passion and fire sometimes gets funneled into corner. Not very exciting, you say? If it's done right, a good organizer will remember the whole campaign every time she stops at the sign-the meetings, preparing leaders, the showdown, the signs-maybe a hit! From here on, that will be the best damn stop sign in the city. I used to commute to another job, driving through the neighborhood in which I now organize. There is a stop sign at the corner of Cannon St. and W. Brighton Ave. that I passed twice a day.

What did I see from the safety of my locked car? Some of the worst drug dealing in the city, Brighton Brigade gang graffiti and lots of vacant houses. That's usually all anyone learns about this neighborhood. As an organizer, I was more fortunate than the commuters. I've had the opportunity to meet the people who live on these streets. Carolyn Stanley, a woman who raised four children while she was working full-time and who is now raising several more foster children while in retirement. George Eccles, who has lived in the same house on W. Newell for over 70 years. Jimmie Jackson, who volunteers at the local high school. Dr. Jennifer Daniels, who built a house on one end of W. Newell and a medical practice on the other-because she grew up here and her mother still lives here.

Even more importantly, I've been able to see neighborhood residents become neighborhood leaders, fighting to improve their streets and their community. Through strategy sessions, public meetings and hits, SUN leaders have accomplished some mighty victories. SUN leaders convinced the city to buy the vacant Enrico's restaurant at W. Newell and Midland Ave., avoiding a sale of the building to a bar owner. The site now boasts four, single-family homes. One corner in our turf was too unstable for construction, so SUN leaders convinced the city to build a playground and develop youth programs on the site.

Carolyn Stanley has become a national leader. She is part of NPA's national leadership team on HUD vacant houses. She confronted HUD Secretary Cuomo on his front yard (with 900 of her NPA friends). She met with FHA Commissioner Apgar in Syracuse and Washington. Two maintenance companies for HUD houses were fired during her work with NPA Now, the new maintenance company calls SUN for advice and has hired four neighborhood men as sub-contractors. All vacant HUD houses in SUN's neighborhoods are boarded with plywood, two-by-fours and bolts. They are not broken into.

All the houses sport signs that have phone numbers large enough to read from the sidewalk. Most importantly for Carolyn and her family-three of the five vacant HUD houses in her neighborhood have been demolished. The other two are being renovated for new owner-occupant families. Carolyn's actions helped families win similar victories in other SUN neighborhoods and in other NPA cities. The stop sign that interrupted my commute exists because of a SUN victory several years earlier.

SUN brought the city's district councilor out to the site, showed him the dangerous corner and won the stop sign. That same councilor is now our U.S. Congressman. As chairman of the House Appropriation's sub-committee for HUD, he has brought over $25 million in funding for housing projects to Syracuse, including a $2 million project that SUN leaders fought for in the Cannon St. neighborhood. At its completion, this project will mean 11 new houses and 15 homes renovated. I guess you could call that progress!