RLP #3: Understanding Power

RLP #3: Understanding Power for 
Community Change

By NHS Staff

Last Tuesday, Stacy Spell joined us in our Home Improvement and Enery Conservation Lab to facilitate the third course in our Resident Leadership Program, “Understanding Power for Community Change.” Stacy is a retired police officer, a community activist, an avid community gardener, and chair of the West River Neighborhood Services Corporation (WRNSC). The mission of the West River Neighborhood Services Corporation is:

1. To promote a productive community that provides an environment that is safe, secure, vital, and full of activity; and
2. To create a beautiful place that encourages a positive and active attitude among its residents and visitors in the area known as the West River neighborhood.

If you are unfamiliar with the work Stacy has done in the West River neighborhood and his many accomplishments, please reference the following articles from the New Haven Independent for more information:

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/man_of_the_year1/

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/spell-binding/

Stacy opened the evening’s course with the ice breaker “Two Truths and a Lie,” where each participant shared three statements about themselves, two of which are true and one is (you guessed it!) a lie. This afforded participants the opportunity to continue to learn more about others invested in the New Haven community, and of course garnered quite a few laughs in the process.

Building off the energy the ice breaker brought to the room, Stacy then encouraged all participants to share with the group what words they think of when they hear the word “power.” Words and phrases like “influence,” “authority,” “ability to create change,” “catalyst,” “control,” quickly buzzed from all sides of the room.

Afterwards, Stacy shared the Merriam—Webster definition of “power”:

pow·er

 noun, often attributive \ˈpau̇(-ə)r\

: the ability or right to control people or things

: political control of a country or area

: a person or organization that has a lot of control and influence over other people or organizations

The provision of the definition led to a discussion on the concept of “power mapping,” an activity which the group then participated in. Participants divided into groups based on neighborhoods, used an existing scenario in their community or created one, and mapped the power related to solving the problem on the power mapping axis.

Once everyone had finished, each group chose a spokesperson who explained the problem, the solution, and all the factors of power related to them. 

Stacy concluded the evening by reminding everyone that they have the ability to create change in their communities and stressed the importance of getting out there, taking the initiative, and getting things done. He also encouraged participants to look up their residing alderpersons, LCI specialists, police chiefs, and other local officials if they did not already know who they were. Participants felt recharged and more confident than ever in their ability to get things done!