Page 124 - Dark Matter:Women Witnessing Issue #3 - December 2015

Caroline:

And I like to say also for all of us, suffering is not a credential. It's an assignment. That it extends our

range of empathy going, "That could be me. That could be me. That was me." But we don't count on

everyone's hardened heart wakening. When you first went to North Philadelphia, you said people were

suspicious of crazy Chinese lady coming to their neighborhood. And you encountered Jojo who was in

difficult underworld shape. And you went to Jojo and said, "I need your help."

Lily:

Yes.

Caroline:

And that creates a partnership.

Lily:

Jojo, he was so angry. He was always screaming, yelling and wearing bandana like a pirate and then

with knives and hammers walking down, raging down the street. Everybody is afraid of him. But I didn't

know that history. But I knew he was a jack of all trades. So I went to him and he dodged me three

times. And the last time I talked to him, I tracked him down.

And then I said, "Jojo, let's build this park." And he was moved by that idea of beauty, green and

flowers and art and whatever. He decided to help me. And I said to him, "I need your help." So....he

become a giant person. He’s going to help me, this person, someday outside to do this art park. So

just by that invitation and that respect of his ability, then we're equalizing the ground. And that's how

you do community work, equal footing and equal exchange. In open, inclusive with respect. And that's

the first rule for success in community building work.

Caroline:

And that's another reason I so love and admire your dedication because it is so clean. We want to

beware and compost any sneaky little tendril of colonialism that may adhere to us and even our

goodhearted spirituality whenever we feel special or more important than ... You're guiding people to

their own autonomy.

And I just want to say that that's a crucial working principle for all women heroes and that which resides

within men as well, which is, does any teaching or project, does it guide people to their own autonomy?

Or does it pull them into an external dependence. So these projects continue even when you're not

there, right?