Over the last 6 months or so, I’ve been working in an underserved community in Durham, NC called Walltown on a connectivity project. This small community of about 1,025 households has a rich history and a bond between neighbors that keeps many of the residents coming back weekly for church or annually for the neighborhood reunion – even if they moved out of the neighborhood years ago. There are people in Walltown who have lived there for over 50 years and have seen the community transform from a flourishing unit (where residents only needed to leave for the doctor visits) to a community full of crime and drugs to currently a community on the way back up.
Through meetings with stakeholders, a series of focus groups, and a community survey, I’ve heard a lot of Walltown’s history, the challenges the community’s facing, and what keeps people there. I knew the ultimate goal was to bring in 21st century solutions, but to solve what? And how? It was incredibly important that the One Economy team working in Walltown really listened to the residents. This was not, as many of you can probably relate to, a community you could successfully start working on what you thought was best for the residents.
A lot of talk has been generated in Walltown about this project. Yesterday, the OE Team went down to present our recommendations for 21st century solutions to Duke University and Cisco, our partners in the connectivity project. Our presentation was warmly received and I’m excited about what can and will happen in Walltown over the next year and even further down the road.
Happy Friday
--Laura Parewski, Winston-Salem OE Office
