Civic Life in Atlanta: Grading on a Curve

Earlier this month The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta released a report on the state of civic life in Atlanta.  This report was based on an analysis the 2011 Current Population Survey for the Atlanta metropolitan region (there is a separate report that looks at the state of Georgia as a whole).

In the Atlanta area, 28% of respondants reported that they do formal volunteer work and 10% said that they work with neighbors to fix community problems.  Both of these proportions are higher than in most cities in the U.S., with Atlanta ranking 6th for formal volunteerism among the country's 51 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas, and 12th for working with neighbor to fix a community problem.  If 10% working with neighbors gets you 12th ranking overall, it must be really bad in a lot of places -- 10% seems quite low to me.  The volunteering that we do is most commonly done for (or perhaps through) religious and educational organizations.

41% of us participate in some kind of an organization.  Our participation is high, relative to other metropolitan areas, for participation in school groups (5th overall) and sports and recreation programs (11th).  This sounds right to me, given what I remember about when our kids were younger, with an expectation for a high degree of parental involvement in both school and extracurricular sports activities.  We may participate, but it's not necessarily because we want to.  According to the report, "there is less willingness among individuals to assume leadership responsibilities by holding an office or serving on a committee," with the Atlanta region ranking 35th in this category.

In the Atlanta area, we rank a dismal 34th for seeing or hearing regularly from family and 36th for eating regularly with others in the household.  The authors speculate that "this may reflect the region's long-standing status as an in-migration hub for job-seekers, especially young adults."  Maybe.  It also may reflect that so many people spend so much time driving (or at soccer practice).

In terms of electoral participation, 65% of us are registered to vote but only 47% of us voted in the previous mid-term election (27th and 22nd, respectively, compared to other metropolitan areas).  For local election voting, we are 34th, with only 31% of us voting.  But we are high for online political expression (9th), contacting public officials (13%), and making purchasing decisions for certain products (either to buy or not buy them) based on our personal values (12%).  I interpret this that we like to complain about things but we aren't very good at actually showing up at the ballot box.

What do they recommend we do about this?  The report ends with recommendations for increasing civic engagement, with lists of things individuals, nonprofits, funders, public officials, the media, and the private sector can do.  Most of this is totally in the non-rocket-science category.  "Invite your neighbors to dinner; introduce your neighbors to one another.  Begin a neighborhood project like a community garden or neighborhood watch...Begin a neighborhood listserv."  Show up.  Pay attention.  Say hello.  Put your neighbor's newspaper on their porch when they're out of town.

And don't just complain, but figure out which candidate you think is best for the job and vote.

The Race for Research

I am writing this at a coffee shop, since we finally gave up on Earthlink a few days ago and now are internet-connection-less at home; we are in the progress of moving to AT&T and hopefully that will work better.

The big news is that Sunday is the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation's Race for Research. Last November, when the race occurred, Amy was newly diagnosed, and by chance I saw the flyer at Emory when I was having my mammogram. Amy couldn't walk with us, but she was there, and cheered us on; Lynsley made a sign, and we took pictures. Iain ran with Dan, and besides the neighbors, other friends of Amy and of Max were there. We weren't very organized, but I said to Lynsley, "Next year - T-shirts!"

So we actually have a team this year, and we sort of have T-shirts, thanks to a color inkjet printer and iron-on transfers from Office Depot - Amy is still waiting for a couple more, but I ran out and didn't have a chance to get to the store til now. But now I have them, and I'll print up more tonight.

At the Republican National Convention, Rudy Guiliani gave a talk in which he ridiculed Barack Obama's background as a community organizer. Setting aside how I feel about the two Presidential candidates, I was deeply disappointed that Mr. Guiliani chose to say what he did.

Community is really important. It's a ride to the doctor when your car breaks down, and someone to look after your kids when you can't get home from work on time. It's someone bringing you a meal when the doctor gives you really bad news and and going across the street late at night to ask someone for advice about whether or not your baby needs to go to the ER. It's the people who care about whether or not your street is safe from hazards, whether it is drug dealers or speeders or predatory lenders, and who can call 911 when you aren't home and can't. It's neighborhood watches and the Morningside Security Patrol. It's wine and cheese on a Sunday evening or a potluck at the end of summer or even guys playing guitars in the parking lot. Maybe in Rudy Guiliani's neighborhood no one does these things, but on my street we do. And it doesn't just happen.

And on Sunday, we'll be in the parking lot at Manuel's Tavern, and this year, we'll have T-shirts. They'll be hugs and photos, and this year, Amy will be walking with us. And when I'm dead, I would be honored to be identified as a community organizer.

See you Sunday. Let me know if you need a transfer for your T-shirt. Hot iron, no steam.