Page 25 - Delaware Lawyer - Winter 2021

America and its systems were failing those who were most in need. This same disinvestment served to discour- age neighbors from staying involved in their neighborhoods to build and rein- force their communities. Today, how- ever, is different. Groups such as Black Lives Matter are not only advocating for police reform, but are organizing for removing barriers in access to edu- cation, health, housing and opportu- nity in America.
Learning from the Past
Few community advocates are as well-known and respected as Ms. Sha- bazz. She was not only the first woman President of Wilmington City Council, but is an artist and entrepreneur, whose achievements include operating a soul food restaurant, bookstore and art gal- lery, all in her hometown of Wilming- ton. She has received an honorary doc- torate of human letters from Virginia University of Lynchburg. Growing up in Southbridge during the civil rights era of the 1960s, she experienced the Wilmington riots and the subsequent National Guard occupation of the city, then lived through the era of Black
progress from the 1970s through the 1990s.
“Great progress was achieved in the 1970s and the decades after, with the increases in affordable housing, grant opportunities and funding streams for minority and underrepresented groups both here in Wilmington and around the nation,” she said. Ms. Shabazz la- ments that, unfortunately, with the progress and increased opportunity for economic empowerment in the late 20th century, there followed an era of “color-blindness” and a sense of “sleep- iness” that occurred in underrepre- sented communities. Funding began to dry up due to new austerity measures, and community groups that served the neighborhoods began to vanish. The new sense of America awaken- ing within the last couple of years has overjoyed Ms. Shabazz, as she believes America, especially the youth, are now “woke and ready to serve.” She believes in taking lessons from the 1960s civil rights era, and that today’s young lead- ers will undoubtedly be able to achieve the deep, systemic change necessary to repair our fractured society.
Ready to Lead
One example of the youth leader- ship that has taken charge is local com- munity advocate April Pagliassoti, the Community Development Manager for Cornerstone West Community Devel- opment Corporation, which provides economic development opportunities throughout the City of Wilmington. As a leader under 30 years old and of mixed Asian-Caucasian background, Ms. Pagliassoti uses her experiences growing up in central Pennsylvania to advocate for bringing communities of all backgrounds together to achieve a better neighborhood.
“Growing up, I became aware of the increased injustice and inequity in the world, and it only got more pro-
nounced as I got older,” she said. “As a leader working in the community, I see a renewed community focus on ed- ucating and working together for real change. This powers me through every day.”
Like Ms. Pagliassoti, Ms. Shabazz sees education and fighting misinfor- mation as the biggest challenge in this new environment. “The energy on the ground is out there. However, educat- ing the community regarding where to find resources, how to engage with government, and how to make change long-lasting is the biggest challenge to date.” Educating the community and the youth leaders of today is her biggest goal. Ms. Pagliassoti relishes the men- torship she has received in her career, including learning under her renowned predecessor, Paul Calistro. Ms. Paglias- soti’s willingness to learn from estab- lished community leaders allowed her to apply old-school organizing tactics to today’s world.
Putting Education into Action
April Pagliassoti and Dr. Hanifa Shabazz agree that the best way to sustain the new justice movement is through collaboration. In fact, in a city as small as Wilmington, there al- ready exist over 48 neighborhood and community groups in addition to the hundreds of non-profits supporting the population in various ways. Lead- ers throughout these organizations will agree that working together to achieve a shared vision is the most effective way to achieve long-lasting change.
Further, teaching the community how to tap resources, including local and national funding opportunities, is a necessary component of Ms. Shabazz’s recommendations for how to effectively organize for change. Local organiza- tions such as the Delaware Community Foundation, the Longwood Founda- tion and the United Way of Delaware
WINTER 2021 DELAWARE LAWYER 23
SAQUAN STIMPSON