written by De'Azia Baldwin, Public Ally, University of Miami
Who are you? Where are you going? How do you get there? These life questions become more and more difficult to answer in the midst of an ever changing global community. Finding your niche, knowing what road to travel on and, more importantly, having the faith in yourself to follow the road to your dreams are imperative components of any good leader. Then there is the hanging question, can I really lead?
I, like many of my fellow Allies, had a strong since of urgency with regards to figuring out life and becoming this awesome person everyone else said they saw in me. But how do I get there?
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De'Azia Baldwin (Public Ally '13) explains
service learning opportunities to a University of Miami student. |
I moved to Miami for graduate school, and after my first year I was miserable. I hated the city, realized the graduate program wasn’t for me, and longed to return home. As I began contemplating leaving the city a friend of mine handed me a brochure about Public Allies Miami. DING! A light turned on in me. As I read about the program my interest and respect for the organization grew. I applied and was accepted into the 2012-2013 Publi Allies Miami class.
Despite the challenges, I must say this is one of the best decisions I’ve made thus far. Often times my fellow Allies and I get together and talk about life, our placements, next steps, and our passions. I stopped to ponder over my work as a Public Ally in Miami and discovered how instrumental this program has been in helping me shape and define my ambitions.
Many people join AmeriCorps programs during transition periods in life. Rather than sitting stagnant or wondering aimlessly through life, we seek to fulfill our sense of commitment to the greater good and consider taking advantage of the opportunity to travel to other countries and become enriched by new cultures. That’s great, but what about all of the diverse cultures here? What about the commitment to myself? After talking to my fellow Allies I realized one of the things that resonated with all of us about the program is the opportunity and emphasis on self-growth. Public Allies is not just about how you can help others; it’s about how you can help others by helping yourself.
What do I mean?
Our five core values are: collaboration, continuous learning, diversity and inclusion, asset-based, and integrity. It seems cliché to say that you can’t have one without the other. However, I think Public Allies Miami embodies that as reality. Each of the Allies has their own story, area of interest, and innate talents. We are a diverse group, but what bonds us together is the sense of home we have found with each other. I have found that the Miami Allies are some of the most inclusive people I have ever met. I mean this not in the generic sense were we are inclusive at trainings or working in the community. It is far more than that; we enjoy the diversity we share.
In fact, our Ally class is an example of what the vision for Miami communities is. Diverse ethnicities, social and economic backgrounds, and orientations working together, seeking to understand each other for one reason; that reason being when everything is stripped away we are all just human. After all, this sense of humanity is what motivates us to give back and pull up our communities. Being inclusive does not mean you try to change the other person’s beliefs either. That’s were integrity comes in. Allies are accountable to each other. We respect each other, valuing each other’s insight.
Aristotle said, “it is the mark of an educated mind to entertain a thought without accepting it.” You cannot win a debate with a PA Miami member because we are too strong minded and quick witted, but you should debate us because we will hold you to your beliefs. The Miami Ally experience is helping all of us to define our personal values. The activities, the training, the coaching sessions, the companionship strengthens who we are as people. When Paul, the CEO of Public Allies, came to visit us we discussed what it was that made a bad leader, the answer is lack of integrity. What you do, how you think and feel, and your opinions are all a part of your leadership style. One of the most valuable aspects of the program is the opportunity for the Ally to step back and say, “this is how I want to be perceived, this is my self-image, and this is what I need to work on to make sure I’m projecting that to other.”
Some Allies came from out of state with no connection to Miami other than the Public Allies program. Collaboration and asset-based thinking quickly became necessary to navigate this city. We worked together to find things to do, places to live, things to see. We built on our assets, relying on our Miami natives to give us the ins and outs and working together to ensure work didn’t take over our lives. In fact, with the amount of work we do as Allies burn-out should come quick but it doesn’t. Because collaboration isn’t just for capacity building at our placements or building team service projects, it’s for when things get rough and you need someone to balance you. It’s for when you need a smile and they have an extra joke. Collaboration is motivation. It means saying this is where I am headed, this is where you are headed, and this is how we can strengthen and support each other to get where we want to be. As Allies, we have learned each other strengthens and weaknesses, leadership styles, hidden talents, biggest fears, and wildest dreams. Being asset-based in our daily lives benefits us individually. I know who to call on if I need a photographer, a therapy session, to discuss the rights of women, or figure out what type of butterfly I caught.
Now what about being a continuous learner?
Allies learn from each other every day. From a sense of fashion to the causes being fought for in various countries, the Public Allies of Miami are well informed. We share knowledge, we debate, we learn random facts, we present new perspectives on common issues. This is how we learn. Our program managers work hard to provide us with a variety of information during our training sessions but more than that, they create a free and safe space were we can discuss any issue. They understand that it’s not just the presenters that we learn from; in fact, I am pretty sure they only bring in the presenters as a catalyst to fuel our discussions. It’s the difference between theory and applied knowledge. We are growing as people, personally and professionally.
We are a family and family pushes you forward. We learn from each other, we see the impact these lessons have in our lives and the lives of our peers so when we do go into the community the connection is there, we get it! There is always a debate surrounding the phrase “ignorance is bliss”. Working as a Public Ally in Miami, I realize that this statement is true because it's only through acknowledging your ignorance that you can become enlightened. In our communities, the more you think you know, the less you are open to learning. The less you learn, the less you grow; and the less you grow the less you can empower yourself or others. So the “bliss” of ignorance is the potential to gain new knowledge.
Location is everything, and what better place to be than the sunny beaches of Miami. But, if you ask one of the Allies the benefit of being here is not only the sun but, the fact that we don’t have to leave our own neighborhoods to experience new cultures. I don’t have to wait to get my passport stamped to eat authentic Cuban or fly across the ocean to take photos of exotic plants and animals. I can call my fellow Allies and take a trip to Little Havana or step outside and visit one of the many botanical gardens. I can experience the beauty of Haitian art or take a trip to the past in one of the many historical neighborhoods the city offers. I realized what made the city unbearable to when I first relocated was that I wasn’t engaged. I had no new experiences in a city so rich in culture and history. Public Allies has changed that for me.
I asked the Allies to give me their input on what they’ve gotten from the program so far. Many of the ideas I expressed are based on the thoughts and conversations we have shared. One of the Allies said, “I get to view Miami in a perspective not many get to see as well as work with brilliant minded people who are out to make a difference.” Public Allies forces you to look deeper, to accept not only the differences of others, but also to accept your own differences. Those differences make us unique, they make us human.
What does all of this mean to the communities we serve?
It means they get a group of people who are dedicated and determined to making a change. A group of young people that embrace diversity and revel in the wealth of knowledge housed in the communities we serve, just waiting to be tapped into. As Allies we are future leaders; leaders who will be capable of compassion and understanding and who won’t hesitate to acknowledge where and when we need help and reach out to fill that gap. Public Allies Miami is a family. Once a Public Ally, always a Public Ally.
