What is Community?

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Abstract

, “It takes a village,” is powerful for a reason. Despite how people may feel, there are only a few things that have been done by one’s lonesome. It took community for Haiti to defeat the French and become independent. It took community for Queen Nanny and the maroons of Jamaica to fight off the British for 19 years. It took community for Koffi and his followers to revolt against the Dutch in Berbice, Guyana. Great men reach their heights with the assistance of others, no matter their mission.</p><p id="8def">It is important to create community, whether you are trying to overthrow tyranny or simply feed your family. It is an innate part of human nature to connect with others, whether we are blood relatives or not. Engaging in community shows up in many different ways too. It can be as simple as changing your neighbor’s flat tire or letting them borrow sugar. It can also be as complex as organizing to give people in other countries aid during times of crisis.</p><p id="d8f0">The world we live in today praises solitude and loneliness. I do not deny the good that comes out of time away from others, but the pendulum has swung too far in the wrong direction. There are too many tropes about solitude, too many tweets encouraging people to keep their guard up. Despite being a writer, which to many is a solitary career path, I try to foster community as much as possible. Despite my faith system being different from others, I still try to connect with people because I believe in the strength in similarities.</p><p id="8e1a">United we stand. Divided we fall

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. Thank you for reading.</p><h1 id="b0ac">Be Open Says;</h1><div id="929d" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/medium-writers-be-open-challenges-you-to-create-be-open-more-about-me-3a39e7aadc6c"> <div> <div> <h2>Medium Writers! Be Open Challenges you to create Be Open (More About Me)!</h2> <div><h3>Readers love you as you are! Submitting your writer’s bio and pinned it is highly recommended.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*-g0I5o0ZUCF2dnH2v8HC0Q.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="c948"><b>So pleased to present you 1 of Be Open Golden Stories created by: <a href="undefined">Purpura Tigris</a></b></p><div id="fb44" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/arroz-con-pollo-74e493e77692"> <div> <div> <h2>Arroz con Pollo</h2> <div><h3>(A Short Poem in English)</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*9u22QAhpcCLRZwz4vVtLVg.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="cf58"><i>Approved by Be Open’s Editor: <a href="https://medium.com/@shayens">A Shayens Abran</a></i></p></article></body>

What does it mean to engage in community?

For the past year or so, building community has become my focus. I was not always community focused. I think it’s hard for people to be focused on others more than themselves, especially in the West, especially in America. For those of us whom hail from other places, it may be a little easier. I have seen communal living among my family in Brooklyn when I lived there, and it has continued despite our migration into the American south. Old habits die hard, but they do die eventually.

Building community became of greater importance to me the deeper I got into my spiritual practice. You don’t need to be spiritual or follow religious doctrine to be an advocate for tight-knit communities. I am simply talking about myself. Once I stepped onto this faith driven path, other parts of my identity began to call out for community as well. My queerness, my spirit, my blackness, and my creativity all craved community. Their cries led me to others, and those I met helped me reflect on myself, my desires, and my ideas about possessions, life, and success.

The saying, “It takes a village,” is powerful for a reason. Despite how people may feel, there are only a few things that have been done by one’s lonesome. It took community for Haiti to defeat the French and become independent. It took community for Queen Nanny and the maroons of Jamaica to fight off the British for 19 years. It took community for Koffi and his followers to revolt against the Dutch in Berbice, Guyana. Great men reach their heights with the assistance of others, no matter their mission.

It is important to create community, whether you are trying to overthrow tyranny or simply feed your family. It is an innate part of human nature to connect with others, whether we are blood relatives or not. Engaging in community shows up in many different ways too. It can be as simple as changing your neighbor’s flat tire or letting them borrow sugar. It can also be as complex as organizing to give people in other countries aid during times of crisis.

The world we live in today praises solitude and loneliness. I do not deny the good that comes out of time away from others, but the pendulum has swung too far in the wrong direction. There are too many tropes about solitude, too many tweets encouraging people to keep their guard up. Despite being a writer, which to many is a solitary career path, I try to foster community as much as possible. Despite my faith system being different from others, I still try to connect with people because I believe in the strength in similarities.

United we stand. Divided we fall. Thank you for reading.