Reflecting On Service In BIPOC Majority Communities
Megan Hernandez-Greene (she/her) and other volunteers
When Megan stepped into the role of fellow at Repair the World Detroit in 2020, she was quickly impassioned to engage the BIPOC community in Detroit by creating spaces to connect and build community, through the power of service. “I wanted to reimagine how we engage with our BIPOC communities more meaningfully,” Megan said.
Megan and Repair the World Detroit fellows began creating stories around volunteering that was being led by Black owned service partners and highlighting them on social media. Rather than just disseminating information, the fellows created dialogues by asking the community questions surrounding service and its connection to Detroit and its history. “Something that was important to us was to not only uplift the work we were doing but to create spaces for the community to express what service meant to them.” Megan used this passed MLK Day and Black History Month as a springboard for how she envisioned engaging with Detrioters in impactful service while uplifting Detroit’s history and the voices of BIPOC’s.
“We are not in partnership with as many BIPOC led partner organizations as we’d like to be,” said Megan. Repair the World Detroit used this as an opportunity to uplift Black led organizations in Detroit that were serving their communities and creating space to build partnerships. “This was a way for us to use our resources and our audience to elevate these organizations doing amazing work,” Megan said.
The fellows also found ways to tap into Detroit’s rich Black history by highlighting Black led organizations that not only served their communities in the past, like Dunbar Hospital – the first Black hospital in Detroit, but Black led organizations that continue to serve their communities today, like Detroit Heals Detroit – an organization combating trauma amongst young Black people while dismantling oppressive systems for marginalized Detroit youth and a service partner of Repair the World Detroit. “Black history isn’t just a thing of the past but something currently being made today,” Megan said. Sarah Allyn, Executive Director of Repair the World Detroit says, “We honor the past by uplifting the present and investing in the future. Part of doing that is by uplifting these voices.”
Megan’s goal for the remainder of her fellowship is to continue working towards strengthening the connection between Repair the World and the communities being served. Megan said, “We’re really thinking about this moment as us planting the seeds for building strong relationships with the communities we serve in the coming years and bridging the gaps, allowing us to make a more meaningful impact.”
Megan is currently a social media fellow at Repair the World Detroit where she is expanding her skills in effectively progressing the betterment of marginalized communities as well as learning more about Judaism and the history of solidarity between the Jewish and Black community. She was a part of the multifaith internship cohort with the Truitt Center for Religious & Spiritual Life at her university. There she envisioned, planned, and executed educational and cultural events such as Diwali, Eid, and Holi that effectively reached more than 150+ students collectively. She has a passion for learning about different religious/worldviews and promoting civil dialogue on various topics.
