In power-building, leadership is developed through raising consciousness about the historical and contemporary political and economic drivers of inequitable conditions, providing opportunities to learn organizing practices through mentorship and peer collaboration, connecting with others from both within and outside the community who are also working towards transforming unjust systems, and having readily available resources to support elements of leadership development.
Leaders emerge when there is a collective vision for a better future that is grounded in a deep understanding of historical political and economic conditions that underlie inequity.
Leadership emerges when there is a sense of agency, when residents have hope for a different future and feel empowered to make change.
Leadership is cultivated and it takes resource to build and support leaders. There are leaders in all communities. Helping to identify community and youth leaders is critical to start the growth process that will lead to system transformation. There should be explicit efforts to center the leadership of those most impacted in a way that is fully supported and not tokenized.
Developing leaders looks like a shift in power from how we've traditionally done things, especially if the way before was rooted in practices that center white supremacy.
Community leadership can take place in electoral and governmental spaces. It looks like the election and appointment of community members to bodies of government such as school boards and city councils or task forces and commissions that impact health, equity, and racial justice.